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A Louisiana police officer was arrested Sunday after he crashed into a car during a high-speed chase in the Baton Rouge area, killing two teenagers, the district attorney announced.
Caroline Gill, 16, and Maggie Dunn, 17, died and Liam Dunn, Maggie’s brother, was critically injured on New Year’s Eve after a police cruiser rammed their vehicle while pursuing a suspect in another vehicle. Addis Police Officer David Cauthron was charged Sunday with two counts of negligent homicide and one count of negligent injuring, District Attorney Tony Clayton said in a statement to USA TODAY.
“We will follow the facts of the case, but I cannot understand why the officer was driving at such a high rate of speed through a red light,” Clayton said. “If it involves putting human life in danger, stop the damn pursuit. It’s just not worth the risk.”
Addis police officer ran red light before crashing into teens: DA
The chase began in Baton Rouge after 24-year-old Tyquel Zanders was accused of stealing his father’s car, Clayton said. He ran multiple red lights and reached speeds of nearly 110 mph during the pursuit, The Advocate reported.
Cauthron was following Zanders when he ran a red light at a high rate of speed and crashed into a separate vehicle with the three teens inside, Clayton said. The teens were not involved in the chase, Clayton added.
Brusly High School principal Walt Lemoine confirmed the teens’ deaths in a statement Sunday. Lemoine said a candlelight vigil would be held Monday in their honor and counselors would be available for students.
“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,” the Brusly High School cheerleading team said in a statement on Facebook. “Their enthusiasm and bright smiles will be missed more than can be imagined.”
Suspect Tyquel Zanders, officer David Cauthron arrested
Zanders drove the allegedly stolen car back across the Mississippi River Bridge and was arrested after the vehicle stalled. He was charged with two counts of manslaughter in West Baton Rouge, according to Clayton. He will face additional charges including home invasions, theft of a vehicle and aggravated flight in Baton Rouge, The Advocate reported.
Cauthron was arrested Sunday and is being held on a $100,000 bond, according to Clayton. Clayton’s office will investigate the case and present the evidence to a grand jury. A spokesperson for the Addis Police Department declined to comment.
Police chases have killed thousands
Police chase tens of thousands of people each year, often for minor infractions, at high speeds and in dangerous conditions.
More than 5,000 bystanders and passengers were killed in police car chases between 1979 and 2013, a USA TODAY analysis found. Black people have been killed in police pursuits at a rate nearly three times higher than other people.
Several police departments, including in cities like Cincinnati and Atlanta, have recently updated their pursuit policies to limit chases to cases involving crimes like violent felonies.
Contributing: Thomas Frank, USA TODAY; The Associated Press
Contact Breaking News Reporter N’dea Yancey-Bragg at nyanceybra@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter @NdeaYanceyBragg
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