Louisiana State Police Investigating Fatal Officer-Involved Shooting in Lake Charles

Published December 28, 2021

Louisiana State Police are investigating a fatal officer-involved shooting involving officers from the Lake Charles Police Department.

Update:

Lake Charles, LA – According to the preliminary investigation, Lake Charles Police Officers (LCPD) responded to a report of a suspect with a weapon in the 1000 block of Mill Street in Lake Charles soon after 9:45 p.m. on December 27, 2021. Officers discovered the person, later identified as 22-year-old Christopher Thomas of Lake Charles, had fired several bullets at a property before fleeing on foot when they arrived. Thomas went to the same house later that night and fired multiple shots, injuring one of the residents in the foot.

Officers discovered Thomas in a different residence in Lake Charles’ 2000 block of Cline Street just after 3 a.m. on the morning of December 28, 2021. Thomas was ordered to surrender verbally by the LCPD. From inside the house, Thomas fired multiple bullets at LCPD officers. Thomas, armed with a weapon and wearing body armor, exited the house through the front door during the negotiations. Officers tried to communicate with him face to face before he withdrew back into the home. While standing in the front entryway, Thomas opened fire on cops. Officers struck Thomas with their duty weapons. Thomas was taken to a nearby hospital and was confirmed dead. Nobody else was hurt.

The officer-involved shooting is being investigated by the Louisiana State Police. The Forensic Investigative Unit of the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office went to the scene and is cooperating with the investigation.

This is an active investigation and further information will be released when it becomes available.

Original:

Lake Charles – The Lake Charles Police Department requested detectives from the Louisiana State Police Bureau of Investigations to investigate a deadly officer-involved shooting involving their officers on the morning of December 28, 2021.

At least one person has died at the scene. During the incident, no one else was hurt. The scene is being processed for evidence by the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office Forensics Investigation Unit.
This is a continuing investigation, and further details will be disclosed as they become available.