David Cauthron: Louisiana cop arrested for mowing down 2 teens while chasing home-invasion suspect on car
BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA: A deadly chaotic incident unfolded in Louisiana after a high-speed pursuit of a home-invasion suspect led to the death of two teenagers - a police officer was charged with the homicide. Officer David Cauthron, who works for the police in the community of Addis, was chasing suspect Tyquel Zanders, 24, when he allegedly struck and killed Maggie Dunn, 17, and Caroline Gill, 16, on December 31, sending Liam Dunn, Maggie's brother in critical condition. Cauthron was arrested the following day of the incident and charged with two counts of negligent homicide and one count of negligent injuring said District Attorney Tony Clayton.
At the time of the incident, police on wheels were chasing Tyquel Zanders in Baton Rouge after he broke into a family member's home and stole their car. During the chase through multiple parishes, Louisiana's version of counties, the 24-year-old ran red lights and reached a speed of 110 mph, according to police documents, as per Daily Mail. Police tried to stop the suspect but he fled the scene, which is when the chase began. Subsequently, as police chased Zanders through the town of Brusly, the Addis police collided with the two teenagers' car.
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The school's cheerleading team released a statement regarding the girls' passing on Facebook. "As we mourn the tragic deaths of Maggie Dunn and Caroline Gill please keep their families, friends, and the BHS community in your thoughts and prayers. Their enthusiasm and bright smiles will be missed more than can be imagined." Several school members close to Maggie and Caroline also penned a tribute recalling their memories on the school's Facebook page. Zanders was arrested across the Mississippi River after his vehicle was stalled by the police. He is facing two counts of manslaughter, as well as home invasion, theft of a vehicle, and aggravated flight, police said.
On Sunday District Attorney Clayton questioned the negligent driving of the officer and said, "That cop has a lot of questions to answer pertaining to his speed and sheer negligence. The public can rest assured, we will follow the facts." "For these kids to not to have been able to start the New Year is inexcusable, but we'll follow the facts first," Clayton continued. "I just can't put my arms around why the officer was driving at that rate of speed in pursuit of this vehicle. This officer is facing some serious issues."
"If it involves putting human life in danger, stop the damn pursuit," Clayton added. "It's just not worth the risk," reported the source. Speaking of the suspect's role in the crash, Clayton said, "He put the chain of events into play. He's responsible for all the reactions to his actions. He's facing two counts, and if that poor kid doesn't survive, he'll face another." As for Zanders, “He is facing well over 100 years in prison and we plan to fully prosecute him,” Clayton concluded.