Louisiana Man Arrested for Aggravated Assult After Allegedly Shooting at a Person and Stealing a Bag in a Lake Charles Park

Lake Charles, Louisiana – The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office revealed on November 7, 2022, that on November 5 at approximately 5:00 p.m., CPSO deputies were summoned to a park on August Drive in Lake Charles, Louisiana in response to a shots fired call.

When deputies arrived at the location, witnesses reportedly informed them that the suspect was still in the neighborhood. Deputies tracked the man down in his automobile and later identified him as Donnell Stephenson, 62, of Lake Charles, Louisiana. When deputies first approached Stephenson, they reportedly noticed indicators of impairment.

During the first inquiry, investigators discovered that the suspect approached the victim, whom he did not know, in the park and began ranting at him before allegedly pulling out a firearm and firing at the victim. Stephenson shot at the victim's car, disabling it, while the victim fled the area on foot. Stephenson got back in his car and drove back to the area where the victim had fled, firing more shots at the victim. Stephenson then returned to the victim's vehicle, fired a shot through the glass, and stole a bag from it.

The victim was able to exit the park on foot and was not injured in the incident. Authorities report that further breathalyzer tests confirmed that Stephenson had above the legal limit.
Stephenson was arrested and booked into the Calcasieu Correctional Center on charges of aggravated assault with a firearm, illegal discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence, illegal possession of a firearm in a firearm-free zone, simple burglary, simple criminal property damage, theft under $1,000, and DWI. His bond was set at $65,000 by Judge Derrick Kee.

The principal investigator in this case is Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office Detective Travis Lavergne.

An arrest is an indication that probable cause exists to believe the subject was involved in the offense alleged. A person is innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.