Trader Joe’s shooting suspect sought by Louisiana cops 3 days after they released him
Louisiana authorities are seeking a man suspected in a parking lot shooting that left one person dead.
Baton Rouge police issued an arrest warrant Tuesday for 24-year-old Jace Boyce, three days after detectives questioned the man before releasing him without charges, The Advocate reported.
Boyce is accused of gunning down a panhandler outside a Trader Joe’s on Aug. 22 in what police initially believed to be an act of self-defense. Now, they’re looking to charge the man with second-degree murder and illegal use of a weapon, according to a message posted on the department’s Facebook page Wednesday.
The shooting unfolded in the shopping center’s parking lot Saturday, causing the death of 61-year-old Danny Buckley, WBRZ reported. A coroner‘s report revealed Buckley died from a “gunshot to the abdomen.”
Details about what led to the shooting remain unclear, but a police report obtained by The Advocate alleges Buckley was “aggressively harassing customers” outside the shopping center. It’s also not clear whether his behavior was “aggressive” enough to justify Boyd using lethal force, according to the newspaper.
A woman who only identified herself as “Kaylee” recalled being approached by Buckley as she and her roommate were leaving Trader Joe’s on Saturday, WAFB reported. She said Buckley “got in her space,” but at no point did she feel in danger.
“Whenever I gave my statement, I made sure to tell them (police) that I never felt threatened as a young woman,” Kaylee told the news station. “I’m 21, white female, so that’s why we were so confused that why this man just felt that this was the necessary action to take. We couldn’t really believe it.”
Investigators located Boyd at the scene and questioned him. They chose not to arrest Boyd after realizing they didn’t have enough evidence, Baton Rouge police spokesman Sgt. L’Jean McKneely Jr. told The Advocate.
Backlash was swift as residents questioned why the shooting wasn’t investigated further and Boyd taken into custody.
“BRPD is the only police department that have to search for a criminal they ALREADY HAD,” one user commented on the department’s Facebook page.
“Wow it’s really too bad y’all didn’t take this more seriously from the jump,” someone else chimed in. “Shame on you.”
Others brought up the issue of race: Buckley was Black and Boyd is white.
Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome called for a fair investigation into the shooting.
“I’ve certainly had my pulse on the situation,” Broome told WBRZ. “As I said, the situation is still under investigation and Chief (Murphy) Paul and his team will make sure that the investigation will be conducted fairly and expeditiously.”
Police urge anyone with information on the shooting to contact Crime Stoppers at (225) 344-STOP (344-7867).