Free Republic

Since Dejuan Guillory died in an officer-involved shooting, questions have swirled about his criminal record. In August 2015, he was arrested and accused of using a backhoe to steal an ATM from a bank, and of shooting at a police officer who came to investigate. In December 2016, he pleaded no contest to simple criminal damage to property and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Half of that sentence was suspended, leaving a five-year sentence to serve, followed by five years of probation. Evangeline Parish court records show that the five-year sentence was actually deferred.

The Louisiana State Police released new details Monday of a fatal officer-involved shooting last week that has sparked controversy in Evangeline Parish, saying the deputy who opened fire on an ATV driver had been attacked during a 4 a.m. traffic stop. The Evangeline Parish Sheriff's Office deputy, who has not been identified, "was dazed and saw stars" before fatally shooting the ATV driver, 27-year-old Dejuan Guillory, according to a State Police report.

Flood waters washing away rice crop Farmers working on what to do next By PATRICK COURREGES pcourreges@theadvocate.com Acadiana bureau VILLE PLATTE -- Flood waters have begun to recede in the area around northern Evangeline Parish but not before wiping out thousands of acres of rice. Agents of the LSU Agricultural Center's extension and research programs made the rounds in Evangeline Parish on Tuesday, talking about the things farmers worry about each year -- such as weeds and insects -- and the specific problems of the recent heavy rains. Days of heavy rains flooded parts of south Louisiana earlier this month,...