A suspect who led police on a chase down Interstate 55 is has died after authorities say a Livingston Parish sheriff's deputy shot him after that chase ended in Tangipahoa Parish.
Louisiana State Police have identified that suspect as John E. Granger, III, 50, of Robert.
The incident happened after 7 a.m. on I-55 near Mile Marker 39 just south of Independence.
According to a State Police Spokesperson, the Livingston Parish sheriff's deputy tried to stop Granger and his pickup truck on LA 442 early Monday morning in relation to a criminal investigation. That's when, state troopers say, Granger sped away. Deputies gave chase, following Granger into Tangipahoa Parish on LA 1063. Troopers say Granger and his truck tried to get on I-55 South by going down an overpass embankment, but Granger crashed his truck into another pickup truck. The driver of the pickup truck Granger hit was not injured.
Troopers say Granger then got out of his truck and ran away from the deputies, bolting into a wooded area. A deputy caught Granger, and a fight ensued. Troopers say during that fight, the deputy tried to use his Taser to stun Granger, but Granger grabbed the Taser and stunned the deputy with it. That's when, authorities say, the deputy shot Granger.
"The deputy had to tase the suspect," Livingston Parish Sheriff Jason Ard said. "The suspect fought through the Taser (and) disarmed the deputy of his Taser. After doing that, he basically started tasing the deputy as they were having a physical altercation. The deputy then did what he had to do to survive this incident."
According to Ard, the deputy involved in the incident is "okay." State police say the deputy suffered minor injuries. Ard notes that more details will be made available as the investigation progresses.
"It's very important that we work through these crime scenes and we do our due diligence in this investigation," Ard sad "Louisiana State Police are on the scene. They will be doing the investigation for us because we are now in Tangipahoa Parish, and it just works better that way."
