MINDEN — Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Division agent Tyler Wheeler, who was shot in early January near Monroe, is walking a half-mile daily on a treadmill and is due to finish his rehab in Mississippi and return to Monroe this weekend.
Those facts were part of an update provided by LDWF Secretary Jack Montoucet and Col. Joseph “Joey” Broussard, head of the LDWF’s Enforcement Division, Tuesday morning at the LDWF office in Minden.
Broussard showed a video, sent by Wheeler’s mother, showing her son walking up a small flight of stairs.
“I’m super excited to see this. Without a doubt, this young man is a miracle,” Broussard said.
Wheeler is expected to return to Shreveport’s University Health at some point for additional treatments, according to Broussard. Wheeler is the second LDWF agent shot in the past two years and both were on vehicle stops.
“That’s the most dangerous thing we do because you can’t see if a driver is holding a weapon,” Broussard said.
While making what is believed to be a routine traffic stop for a possible impaired driver check, Wheeler was shot five times early Jan. 7 on Hwy. 165 between Sterlington and Bastrop.
Although the Louisiana State Police haven’t released results of their investigation, it is believed the shooter was in a stolen vehicle using a stolen driver’s license. Amethyst Baird and Jeremy Gullette both of Monroe have been arrested in connection with the case. Baird has been charged with attempted first-degree murder of a police officer.
“Tyler did everything by the book in the stop, even radioing for backup,” Broussard said. “Fortunately, a second agent arrived within about three minutes of the shooting, helped Tyler and secured the scene.”
Broussard said he received calls from across the country from law enforcement agencies offering support for Wheeler.
“We even received one from British Columbia. We had a backlog of calls,” he said.
When Wheeler was released from University Health and transported to Jackson for rehab, Mississippi wildlife department officials met Wheeler at the state line and escorted him to Jackson.
“All of the law enforcement agencies in Louisiana, the state police and sheriff’s departments, as well as those in our adjoining states, have been supportive in a number of ways,” Broussard said. “We live in a great state.”
Twitter: @JimmyWatson6
