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Deputy shoots, kills armed person while trying to make kidnapping arrest in BR Saturday

2 years 2 months 2 weeks ago Monday, January 10 2022 Jan 10, 2022 January 10, 2022 5:46 PM January 10, 2022 in News
Source: WBRZ

BATON ROUGE - Law enforcement officers shot and killed a person who allegedly threatened them with a gun during a Saturday night arrest attempt of that person's twin brother.

State Police report 25-year-old Deaughn Willis was killed by an East Baton Rouge Sheriff's deputy at an apartment complex on George O'Neal Road while Baton Rouge Police officers and East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's deputies were attempting to arrest an alleged kidnapping suspect, Keaughn Willis, at the Springbrook Apartment complex around 3:30 p.m.

Baton Rouge Police Department confirmed Deaughn and Keaughn Willis are twins. 

According to an arrest warrant, 25-year-old Keaughn Willis drove to a woman's house shortly after 11 p.m. The woman told officers Willis grabbed her, threw her in his car, then took off. The victim said she asked Willis to stop and let her out multiple times, but Willis told her he was taking her to Oklahoma with him.

According to documents, Willis pulled over in Alexandria, parked behind a building and sexually assaulted the victim. The victim was able to fight Willis off of her, break the front passenger window, climb out of the car and run away.

Keaughn Willis was booked on charges of attempted third-degree rape, sexual battery, simple kidnapping, and domestic abuse battery of a pregnant victim.

State Police said the group of law enforcement officers attempted to contact Deaughn Willis, who was in the apartment where Keaughn and Deaughn live.

According to State Police, Willis "brandished a firearm at responding law enforcement," before he was shot by the deputy.

Sources told WBRZ that as the gun was pointed toward the officers, and one of the officers in the group fired at the person holding the weapon. After the shot, Willis fell back into the apartment, and the door closed.

Trinelle Willis, the mother of the twins, refutes that Deaughn Willis pointed a weapon at law enforcement officers.

"I didn't see him point anything," Trinelle Willis said. "With my eyes, I didn't seem him point anything. When I was in the hallway, I saw him go to the door and peep out. When he peeped out, [it] sounded like he said, 'oh that's the police.' He closed the door back and they shot through the door."

Trinelle and her husband, who were both home during the encounter, say the moments leading up to and following the shooting were chaotic and confusing.

"They never gave me a valid reason why they had so many police, with guns drawn, at my door," she said.

No one would respond to requests from the outside to open the door, sources said.

Agents learned later that Willis was hit by the gunshot. Willis was pronounced dead at the scene by the East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner's Office.

As the investigation continues, the Willis family is calling for more answers. 

"This narrative about him pointing a weapon, having a gun, being dangerous, just another thug so it's not a problem to shoot him down, that's over with," Willie Davis, Jr., Deaughn's grandfather, said. 

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