UPDATE FROM THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE
LAFAYETTE, LA (Mar. 20, 2024 3:35 p.m.) – The subject involved in Tuesday night’s lethal encounter with Lafayette Police has been identified as thirty-nine-year-old Russell Q. Francis, Jr.
Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Detectives are continuing to investigate the incident that occurred just before midnight near the 900 block of S. College Road in Lafayette.
No further information is available at this time.
ORIGINAL FROM LAFAYETTE POLICE DEPARTMENT
LAFAYETTE, LA (Mar. 20, 2024 3:34 a.m.) – Around 11:41 p.m. on March 19, 2024, the Lafayette Police Department (LPD) responded to a domestic call in progress at an apartment complex in the 900 block of South College Road. Upon the officers’ arrival, it was learned that the suspect was still on the scene. Officers attempted to approach the suspect’s vehicle, during which time the suspect began trying to flee the area in the vehicle. The suspect vehicle struck a police unit and narrowly missed striking two officers with the vehicle at the time the suspect was trying to flee. The suspect was able to flee the scene and officers began to canvass the area in the direction that the suspect fled in his vehicle.
A short time later, officers located the suspect in the 200 block of Irene Circle. It was at this time that the suspect, again, attempted to flee the scene, attempting to run over officers and ultimately striking several police units, which pinned a Lafayette Police canine between two vehicles and damaging area resident’s property. The suspect presented deadly force, which resulted in an officer-involved shooting. As a result of this shooting, one person is deceased. No officers were injured as a result of this incident.
The Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office is currently on scene and will be handling the officer-involved shooting incident. Please refer to the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office for all updates regarding the officer-involved shooting incident.
LPD investigators are on the scene and actively working on the incident that led up to the Officer-involved incident. As more information becomes available, an update will be sent out. If anyone has information regarding this incident, they are urged to contact the Lafayette Police Department or Lafayette Crime Stoppers at 232-TIPS (8477)
