The man who was shot and killed by St. Charles Parish sheriff's deputies during a Thursday morning incident pointed what appeared to be an AR-15-type gun at deputies while they tried to convince him to surrender peacefully. That gun, officials say, turned out to be an airsoft rifle.
St. Charles Parish Sheriff's Office Sgt. Jenni Barrette identified the suspect at Charles Verdin, 58. According to Barrette, authorities served Verdin with a restraining order earlier this month instructing him to stay away from a person on Nicholas Street, the same street where Thursday's incident took place.
According to Barrette, someone called authorities around 7:45 a.m. after Verdin allegedly pointed his gun at two men on Nicholas Street near River Road. When deputies arrived, they found Verdin sitting inside a van behind a nearby warehouse. Barrette says deputies surrounded the van and ordered Barrette to put the gun down and get out of the van with his hands raised. That's when, Barrette says, Verdin pointed the gun "aggressively" at the deputies, leading to the shooting.
Verdin was suffered multiple wounds and died at the scene.
The case remains under investigation.