A 50-year-old man is in custody following a nearly five-hour standoff with law enforcement in the 900 block of La. Hwy 3163 north of Campti on Wednesday morning, April 22.
The incident began around 10:20 a.m. when a resident called the NATCOM 911 Center to report hearing gunshots and discovering the rear glass of their vehicle had been shattered. Deputies from the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office (NPSO) Patrol Operations responded to the scene and began canvassing the area for a suspect.
Upon approaching a nearby residence, deputies encountered a male subject who appeared to be suffering from a mental health condition. The man refused to exit the home and escalated the situation by making direct threats toward law enforcement, including claiming he would “kill a cop.”
Law enforcement established a perimeter around the residence, and additional resources were deployed, including NPSO Detectives with a drone and the Natchitoches SWAT Unit with a professional negotiator. During the course of the standoff, the suspect fired at SWAT operators at least two times.
Despite the gunfire, the standoff concluded at 2:56 p.m. when the suspect was taken into custody without further incident. Following a medical assessment at the scene by Natchitoches Regional Medical Center EMS, the man was transported to the Natchitoches Detention Center.
The suspect has been booked on charges of Aggravated Criminal Damage to Property, with additional charges currently pending as the investigation continues. No injuries to law enforcement personnel were reported.
