Suspect Arrested in Connection with Vehicle Pursuit in Louisiana that Led to The Crash of a Baton Rouge Police Helicopter

Published March 28, 2023

Suspect Arrested in Connection with Vehicle Pursuit in Louisiana that Led to The Crash of a Baton Rouge Police Helicopter

Baton Rouge, Louisiana – A suspect has been arrested in connection with a vehicle pursuit in Louisiana that led to the crash of a Baton Rouge Police helicopter.

The West Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office (WBRSO) and the Baton Rouge Police Department (BRPD) reported on March 27, 2023, that on Sunday, March 26, at approximately 2:27 a.m., the Baton Rouge Police Department was in pursuit of a 2014 Ford Mustang that had crossed into West Baton Rouge Parish on I-10. Deandre Dwayne Bessye, 23, was eventually identified as the driver who left I-10 onto LA 415 northbound. Bessye kept fleeing the Baton Rouge Police Department at speeds of up to 135 miles per hour according to police.    The pursuit was called off around 2:35 a.m. near the intersection of US Highway 190 and Bueche Road by Baton Rouge Police.

The West Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office was not pursuing this vehicle but was responding to the area after the pursuit was called off by Baton Rouge Police.

West Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to a residence on Poydras Bayou Drive at around 3:14 a.m. in relation to a reported abandoned car. The car was later identified as the 2014 Ford Mustang that had eluded BRPD earlier that night. Deandre Dwayne Bessye, the driver, phoned the property owner and asked for a trip to a local gas station since his car had run out of gas. After being dropped off by the property owner, Bessye called a friend in Baton Rouge, Louisiana who picked him up and drove him to his Baton Rouge home.

The West Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office received a call at 10:48 a.m. from one of the officer’s family members requesting that they respond to a rural location between North Winterville Road and Bueche Road. During their search, deputies discovered a crashed Baton Rouge Police Department helicopter.
Tragically, both officers died as a result of their injuries. The Baton Rouge Police Department and Baton Rouge Metro Airport Traffic Control were also notified shortly after the collision was discovered.

As a result of the investigation, arrest warrants were obtained for Deandre Dwayne Bessye. Bessye was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Task Force, and later transported and booked into the West Baton Rouge Parish Detention Center charged with 2 Counts of Manslaughter, 1 Count of Aggravated Flight from an Officer, and 1 Count of Aggravated Obstruction of a Highway of Commerce.

Authorities also indicated that upon Bessye’s release from West Baton Rouge authorities, he will be booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison by BRPD on the charges of Aggravated Flight from an Officer, and Hit and Run.

This investigation is currently active and ongoing. WBRSO is in contact with the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) and the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board), which is sending an investigator to the crash site.

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

Related: Early Morning Helicopter Crash in Louisiana Kills Two Police Officers Previously Assisting with a Vehicle Pursuit