47°
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
7 Day Forecast
Follow our weather team on social media

Head of State Troopers Association arrested after firing gun at office during family feud

Related Story

UPDATE: The East Baton Rouge District Attorney's Office says it will not pursue charges against Young.

*****

BATON ROUGE – Gunfire in the parking lot of the Louisiana State Troopers Association nestled along an upscale area of Jefferson Highway resulted in what appears to be the executive director’s arrest, WBRZ learned Monday.

The gunfire was heard Sunday evening in an apparent family tiff.

David Young, 71, was charged with aggravated assault with a firearm, illegal use of a weapon and false imprisonment after an altercation where investigators said he held his daughter's boyfriend at gunpoint and fired a shot toward the man as he tried to escape. 

According to the association's website, a man with that name is the agency’s executive director. The troopers association is a trade group that represents nearly 97% of state troopers and retirees, according to its website. It is designed to lobby for better benefits and support trooper-members.

According to arrest documents obtained by the WBRZ Investigative Unit, Young and his daughter were at the agency’s offices in the 8100 block of Jefferson Highway Sunday evening when Young became upset his daughter’s boyfriend was waiting in a car in the parking lot for the woman. Detectives wrote Young is known to not support his daughter’s relationship with the man, whom the woman has a child with.

Authorities said security video showed Young arguing with his daughter and the boyfriend and was seen holding the man at gunpoint on the ground until the man got up and started to run away. As the man ran away, investigators said Young was seen pointing the gun toward the man and firing a shot over the man’s head.

The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office handled the case and deputies wrote in arrest documents, Young is said to not like the boyfriend because the boyfriend does not provide for Young’s grandchild.

Deputies said Young confessed. When asked about the gunshot, Young reportedly told the investigators "I fired a shot," and told them they could find the gun in the drawer of the reception desk inside the office.

Young has since been released on bond.

The State Troopers Association gave the following statement to WBRZ late Monday night:

An unfortunate incident took place yesterday on LSTA property involving Mr. David Young and two other individuals. No one appears to have been injured as a result of the incident, and all three individuals were subsequently arrested. Since the investigation is ongoing, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further at this time.

*****************

Follow the publisher of this post on Twitter: @treyschmaltz

News

Desktop News

Click to open Continuous News in a sidebar that updates in real-time.
Radar
7 Days