Maurice officer expected to turn himself in today

Posted: Feb 6, 2013 12:07 PM by Tonya LaCoste
Updated: Feb 6, 2013 3:02 PM

Update: Officer Willis Thomas was booked into the Vermilion Parish Jail at 1:05 p.m.

The Maurice police officer indicted on negligent homicide charges Tuesday will report to jail today. Officer Willis Thomas is accused of crashing into 83-year-old Paul Suire's vehicle while he was headed to a call about a dangerous driver on the road. "He didn't do anything wrong and the evidence will bear that out," Thomas' attorney Kirk Piccione said.

Thomas' police cruiser's lights were on when he was responding to a call of a dangerous driver on the road when "another vehicle pulled out into the road," Piccione said. The crash happened as Suire and his wife left a gas station and crossed US Hwy 167. "He pulled out from a stop sign, and pulled out directly in front of an officer," Piccione said. Suire's wife, Philomene, was injured in the crash.

Thomas' bond is $25,000. The next step is the arraignment followed by a trial.