BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Police in Louisiana say the man accused of shooting and severely wounding a law enforcement officer over the weekend used a stolen gun.
Baton Rouge Police spokesman Sgt. Don Coppola Jr. tells The Advocate of Baton Rouge that 34-year-old Eugene Thomas Jr. first shot at multiple people Sunday before shooting at 30-year-old Officer Shane Totty. Coppola says a bullet, glass and shrapnel struck Totty’s face.
Coppola says the gun Thomas used was reported stolen, but circumstances surrounding the theft were unclear. He says additional charges may be filed.
Thomas was arrested Monday on charges including attempted first-degree murder of a police officer. He was found not guilty by reason of insanity in a 2001 obscenity case and a separate 2002 fatal shooting.
Coppola says Totty has been placed on paid administrative leave.