Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana – On the early morning of Saturday, October 7th, around 12:50 a.m., deputies from the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office were sent to Toomey Road and Broussard Road in Vinton, Louisiana to aid the Vidor Police Department in a chase.
In the beginning of the inquiry, it was found that officers from the Vidor Police Department tried to pull over a car on I-10, but the car escaped and ended up entering Calcasieu Parish. The suspect then left I-10 at mile marker 4 and kept running away until the car crashed near Toomey and Broussard Road. Two unidentified individuals got out of the vehicle and shot at the officers before escaping on foot.
Deputies from the CPSO, Vinton PD, Louisiana State Police, Vidor PD, and Orange County Sheriff’s Office established a boundary and began searching for the individuals.
At around 9:30 a.m., CPSO deputies pulled over a truck on Highway 109 in Vinton. They apprehended two suspects, Bracelon A. Charles, aged 20, from Sunset, Louisiana, and a 17-year-old juvenile from Opelousas, Louisiana. These individuals matched the descriptions of the suspects who fled the car and fired at officers.
The driver of the truck, Justin J. Colligan, aged 43, from Sunset, Louisiana, was also detained. Investigations revealed that Charles and the juvenile contacted Colligan, a relative, who came to the area to pick them up.
After conducting a more detailed investigation and obtaining a legal authorization to search the vehicle that was involved in the crash close to Toomey and Broussard Road, the detectives discovered proof that links Charles and the minor to an armed robbery that took place in Calcasieu Parish on October 6th. This robbery occurred at a convenience store in Vinton, and an undisclosed sum of money was taken.
Charles, Colligan, and the minor were all arrested. Charles and Colligan were booked at the Calcasieu Correctional Center, while the minor was booked at the Juvenile Detention Center. Charles and the minor are facing several charges, including aggravated assault with a firearm; aggravated assault on a police officer; aggravated flight from an officer; illegal possession of stolen things; and illegal use of a weapon. The juvenile is additionally charged with illegal possession of a handgun by a juvenile. Colligan is charged with accessory after the fact to aggravated assault. Judge Clayton Davis set Charles’ bond at $360,000 and Colligan’s bond at $25,000.
After a thorough investigation into the armed robbery in Vinton, Charles was officially accused of armed robbery; armed robbery with the use of a firearm; contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile; and wearing a mask or hood in public. Judge Judge Tony Fazzio set his bond at $208,500. The juvenile was charged with armed robbery; armed robbery with the use of a firearm; wearing a mask or hood in public; and illegal possession of a handgun by a juvenile during a crime of violence.
Larry Cormier and Tyler Houston, who are the main detectives, are in charge of investigating these cases for the CPSO.
An arrest is an indication that probable cause exists to believe the subject was involved in the offense alleged. All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty.