An officer from Addis Police Department was arrested and charged with Homicide after he reportedly killed 2 teen girls during a high-speed chase.
On Saturday, December 31, officers from the Addis and Baton Rouge Police departments got into a chase with a man accused of stealing a car, according to WVLA-TV.
Tyquel Zanders, the suspect allegedly walked into someone’s house, took their car keys, pushed them, and drove off. The officers try to make traffic stops, but allegedly, Zander drove at over 110 miles per hour on 1-10 East.
The vehicle belonged to Zander’s father, according to The Advocates report.
Zander was allegedly turning around on Lousiana Highway 1 when an Addis Police officer hit another vehicle making its way onto the street. Two teens who were cheerleaders at Brusly High School Maggie Dunn a seventeen-year-old and Caroline Gill a 16-year-old were killed in the crash.
According to ABC News Reports, Liam Dunn, Maggie’s brother was also in the car at the time and transported to the hospital in critical condition. The Addis Police officer, David Cauthron, allegedly ran a red light when he crashed into the car and was reportedly driving at about 86 miles per hour and did not hit the brakes before the fatal crash.
District Attorney Tony Clayton of the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s office reportedly charged Cauthron with two counts of manslaughter.
Clayton said in a statement that they will follow the facts of the case, but he cannot understand why the officer was driving at such a high rate of speed through a red light. He also added that sirens and police vehicles do not give an officer the authority to run through a red light and they must slow down or come to a complete stop when someone’s life is in danger.
Clayton also said in his statement that if it involves putting human life in danger, just stop the chase and it’s just not worth the risk. This is a tragic case that has affected many families and an entire community and ended the lives of young people with a promising destiny ahead of them.
Cauthron was brought into the West Baton Rouge County jail and is being held on a $100,000 bond.
