Louisiana Police Officer Dies From Gunshot Wound

Hours after responding to an alleged domestic dispute, Louisiana police Officer Henry Nelson died from a gunshot wound. St. Landry Parish Sheriff Bobby Guidroz confirmed that Nelson had died after being shot by a man who was suspected of stabbing three people. One of the stabbing victims, identified as Shameka Johnson, has also died. The second stabbing victim is in critical condition, and the third victim, who is apparently the suspect's wife, according to The Advertiser, was undergoing surgery. MSNBC reports that officials identified the suspect as Harrison Lee Wiley Jr., who is alive and in custody after a SWAT team entered the convenience store where he had barricaded himself.

The situation was initially reported as a hostage situation, but as more details unfolded, it emerged there were no hostages and that three people who were inside the store fled after the suspect drove his car into it. According to Guidroz, Nelson responded to a report of a domestic disturbance Wednesday afternoon, where the three women were stabbed. The suspect shot Nelson and then fled to a convenience store three blocks down the street, where he attempted to barricade himself inside an office before he was arrested and taken to a hospital.

Nelson, 51, worked as a police officer for more than 12 years and ran for the Sunset police chief position in the 2014 election. He was a lifelong resident of Sunset who graduated from Sunset High School in 1983 and studied at Louisiana State University. He told The Advertiser in 2014 that he was active in the community, including volunteering at the library and distributing fans to senior citizens. He had one daughter, named Alyssa.

Johnson, 40, who died from her stabbing wounds, was the sister of Shaterral Johnson, the interim mayor of Grand Coteau, Louisiana. Her sister, Surlay Johnson, is in critical condition at Lafayette General Hospital. Courtney Jolivette, the suspect's wife, is in surgery.