BELLE CHASSE, La. — *The video above is the press conference with Plaquemines Parish Sheriff about the crash and the video embedded below is of the family questioning the incident.
The Plaquemines Parish deputy who was injured after being struck by an ATV has undergone multiple surgeries and is said to be stable in the Intensive Care Unit while the man identified as the suspect in the case by the sheriff's office was released from the hospital and has been taken into custody.
The sheriff’s office gave an update on the case that left both men seriously injured and that has the family of the arrested man demanding more details.
Reginald Hamilton, 18, of New Orleans, was released from the hospital and taken to the Plaquemines Parish Detention Center by State Police. He was booked on attempted first-degree murder of a police officer, aggravated flight from a police officer, reckless operation and vehicle not equipped for roadways.
The deputy, whose name has not been released, suffered severe hip and leg injuries in the crash.
The sheriff’s office said that Hamilton and another man were driving their ATVs without lights on Woodland Highway when deputies, concerned about some break-ins in the parish went to check out the situation.
Sheriff Gerald Turlich said that the bikers took off and deputies pursued them as they headed for the Orleans Parish portion of Woodland Highway. Near the parish line, Turlich said the deputy was out trying to flag Hamilton to pull over and that his ATV, which would have missed the deputy, was driven directly into him, causing serious injuries to both men.
“The bike would have missed him and at the last second veered right at the officer. Right at the officer,” Turlich said Tuesday.
Ashonta Wyatt, a representative for Hamilton’s family, said Hamilton and a friend were on the other side of the bridge from their home in the Cut-Off neighborhood of Algiers after setting out some fishing lines earlier that night. She said Hamilton had never been in trouble with the law.
“The family believes that Reginald was extremely fearful and was just trying to flee to make it on this side of the Woodland Bridge,” Wyatt said. “The boys were traveling very slowly down Woodland Highway. So there wasn't anything reckless about what they were doing.”
Wyatt acknowledges that the two young men probably sped away as deputies started to chase them, she said Hamilton would never set out to harm anyone, much less a law enforcement officer. Furthermore, the impact was hard enough to result in serious injuries to Hamilton as he was sent flying off the ATV.