The person who died in a trooper-involved shooting on Friday had been involved in a high-speed chase earlier and allegedly was transporting more than 180 pounds of cocaine.
State Police are investigating the shooting, which left dead Jose Reza-Navarro, 52, of Spring, Texas.
The incident began on I-10 near the Lobdell exit in West Baton Rouge Parish, troopers say. At about 10 p.m., a trooper tried to pull over a Suburban for a traffic violation. Reza-Navarro was driving. During the traffic stop, Reza-Navarro took off and fled east on the Interstate.
Troopers chased him, but he hit several other vehicles and was traveling so fast that it became much more dangerous to continue the chase, and troopers stopped.
But they found the vehicle a short time later, because it was disabled after crashing into another vehicle near the I-10 and I-110 split. Reza-Navarro fled the scene. After that, troopers caught up with Reza-Navarro, and during that encounter he was shot and died at the scene.
The incident scene was processed by Louisiana State Police Crime Lab Technicians. They got a search warrant for Reza-Navarro’s vehicle and allegedly found 83 kilograms, or about 183 pounds, of cocaine in several suitcases in the Suburban.
In accordance with LSP policy, the Trooper involved in the deadly force event will be placed on administrative leave at this time. The investigation remains ongoing with further information to be released in coordination with the East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney’s Office at the appropriate time, a release from State Police says.
