Two Louisiana Men Who Fled from Police Sentenced to Prison on Firearms Charges in Separate Cases

Louisiana – On July 13, 2022, two men from Shreveport, Louisiana, were sentenced to federal prison for firearms violations, United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced. Chief United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. sentenced the two men as follows:

Shelby Alvin Chapple, 30, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was sentenced to 84 months (7 years) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.

On October 18, 2020, shortly after midnight, a Shreveport Police officer patrolling Hollywood Avenue attempted to stop a car after observing it swerve across the center dividing line multiple times. When the officer activated his cruiser’s overhead lights and siren, the car refused to stop and instead accelerated through several red lights. To avoid detection, the car eventually turned down a residential street and turned off its running lights.

During the subsequent police pursuit, the car came to a near stop when the driver, later identified as Chapple, jumped from the driver’s seat while the car was still in drive and sprinted in between several homes while carrying a handgun loaded with a high-capacity magazine. A police K-9 team eventually tracked down Chapple, who was hiding in the woods behind the houses. The loaded handgun was discovered on the ground where Chapple had thrown it. Chapple admitted to police that he had the gun and threw it away before being arrested after being advised of his Miranda rights. Chapple was on parole for a prior felony weapons offense at the time of this incident.

The ATF and the Shreveport Police Department investigated the case, which was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Shannon.

The second defendant sentenced was Decoby J. Office, 20, of Shreveport, Louisiana, who received a 24-month (2 years) prison sentence, followed by 2 years of supervised release.

On June 3, 2021, a Shreveport Police Department officer attempted to stop a car driven by Office. During the subsequent pursuit, Office threw a Glock 9mm handgun from the vehicle. Officers were able to recover the weapon, and the pursuit ended with Office being arrested. A Shreveport Police Department officer searched the vehicle and discovered a loaded magazine beneath the driver’s seat, where Office was sitting. Office had the firearm and ammunition despite knowing he couldn’t have them. In 2021, he was convicted of felony illegal use of a weapon in Caddo Parish, Louisiana.

The ATF and the Shreveport Police Department investigated the case, which was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Leon H. Whitten.