IBERIA PARISH — Jeanerette Police and Louisiana State Police are investigating multiple incidents that disrupted Saturday’s Jeanerette Mardi Gras parade, including a shots-fired call and an ATV crash that injured a child.
Stacy Freeman who was attending the parade captured video that shows the moment an officer riding an ATV allegedly struck a child during the parade.
Jeanerette Police Chief Terrance Moore said officers initially believed the child had been struck by a parade float. However, that information later changed.
“We initially got the call that a child had been hit by a float, but I later learned the child was actually hit by officers responding to the shots-fired incident,” Moore said.
Moore said the officer involved is a part-time Jeanerette police officer who also works full time for the Franklin Police Department. The officer was responding to reports of gunfire along the parade route when the crash occurred.
“The officer did have his emergency lights and signals on, and we did allow an outside agency to investigate the accident,” Moore said.
Louisiana State Police have taken over the investigation. In a statement to KATC, state police said the officer was operating an ATV with emergency lights and sirens activated while responding to a shots-fired call.
According to the statement, a juvenile ran into the street to retrieve beads from the roadway and entered the path of the ATV. The officer was unable to stop in time to avoid the crash. The child was transported to a local hospital with minor injuries.
The incident came shortly after police say a man was randomly firing shots into the air along the parade route.
“He was immediately apprehended and taken into custody,” Moore said.
Jeanerette Mayor Carol Bourgeois Jr. told KATC he was pleased with the response from law enforcement and thankful no one was killed.
In a Facebook post, the Jeanerette Police Department expressed condolences to the family of the child involved in the ATV crash and wished the child a full and speedy recovery. The department also went on to explain other shootings that may have happened after the parade.
Moore said police arrested 31-year-old Eric Antoine in connection with the shooting. Antoine is facing multiple charges, including reckless discharge of a firearm at a parade or demonstration and illegal use of a dangerous weapon.
Moore also said police received reports of another person possibly being struck by a vehicle, though officers have not yet been able to locate that individual. Additional incidents reported during the parade included people falling along the route or stepping into parade traffic.
Jeanerette resident Pamela Tate said the events were unsettling and confirmed she had urged her grandchildren not to attend the parade.
“It’s sad — it’s really sad — when you can’t even enjoy yourself,” Tate said. “I asked them not to go, because bullets don’t have no name on it.”
Investigations into the incidents remain ongoing.
