St. Tammany Parish Coroner Dr. Charles Preston has ruled 32-year-old Kevin Dudenhefer died from multiple gunshot wounds. Dudenhefer was killed in a confrontation with St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's deputies Wednesday, September 25.
A family had contacted sheriff's with concerns about their son. The sheriff's office said the family reported their son was in some kind of mental crisis.
Officials say deputies arrived at the home off Fish Hatchery Road and Oak Cove Drive in Lacombe around 9:00 p.m., and were confronted by the man who was armed with a gun.
According to Capt. Scott Lee with the sheriff's office, deputies first used a Tazer to try and subdue him, but it was ineffective. Deputies say the man then raised his gun, and that's when they shot and killed him.
The coroner classified the death as a homicide, pointing out "there is a legal distinction between 'homicide' and 'murder.' The former term simply means the death was brought about by the actions of another person, whereas 'murder' indicates a crime was committed."