In Louisiana, a police officer has been prosecuted for his part in the deaths of two adolescents that occurred after a high-speed chase after a suspect in a home invasion.
Officer David Cauthron, a police officer in the Addis neighborhood, was taken into custody on Sunday night, according to WBRZ-TV. According to District Attorney Tony Clayton, he is accused of two charges of negligent homicide and one count of negligent injury.
It was unclear if Cauthron had a lawyer to represent him on Monday.
Maggie Dunn, 17, and Caroline Gill, 16, perished after a police cruiser ran into their vehicle on a state highway early on Saturday morning. A third passenger in the automobile suffered a severe injury.
R.I.P 🙏🏾 Maggie Dunn, 17, and Caroline Gill, 15, we're killed in a neglectful high speed chase that lead to the teenagers death. Officer responsible, David Cauthron, 42. was arrested by the West Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office and faces charges of negligent homicide! pic.twitter.com/N25g5y9ggv
— Kenny Akers (@KeneAkers) January 2, 2023
Police were at the time looking for a suspect who was 24 years old. The pursuit began in Baton Rouge when the suspect broke into a house and grabbed the keys before stealing a car, according to police.
The 24-year-old ran red lights and reached speeds of 110 mph (177 kph) throughout the chase across many parishes, Louisiana’s equivalent of counties, according to police reports.
According to The Advocate, two young females who were not engaged in the crime died after an Addis police car collided with another vehicle while pursuing the suspect through the hamlet of Brusly.
The man tried to cross the Mississippi River in the stolen car, but it stalled, and he was caught. He will face charges for two counts of manslaughter, breaking, car theft, and aggravated fleeing, according to the police.
On Sunday, Clayton disagreed with the police’s choice to stop the officer after pursuing the driver at a high rate of speed.
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