Deputy fires weapon during arrest: JPSO

TANGIPAHOA PARISH, La. (WGNO) — Officials with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office report that in the early morning hours of Saturday, May 10, a deputy fired his weapon while performing an arrest.

According to the JPSO, around 2:40 a.m., a deputy performed a traffic stop on an occupied truck without a license plate in Metairie, which was located behind a business near the intersection of Yale and Hudson streets.

During the stop, the suspect who was in the driver’s seat of the vehicle, identified as 44-year-old Travis Umfrey, of Metairie, allegedly began yelling at the deputy and ignoring all commands. The deputy then reportedly fired his conducted energy weapon at the suspect after he had gotten back into the truck, however Umfrey managed to drive away with a woman still in the passenger seat.

Officials say Umfrey then led deputies on a chase across multiple parishes all the way to Interstate 55 near Ponchatoula, where a local law enforcement officer managed to stop the truck using a spike strip.

In attempting to arrest Umfrey, the suspect allegedly fought with officers and tried to grab one of their CEWs, prompting a deputy to fire a single round at Umfrey from their service weapon, missing him.

Deputies say the struggle continued outside the truck with Umfrey reportedly trying to grab a knife he had clipped on his pants, however he was eventually put into handcuffs and taken into custody.

Umfrey has been booked into the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center on charges of improper lane usage, operating a motor vehicle while impaired, resisting an officer, simple kidnapping, aggravated flight from an officer, aggravated obstruction of a highway, attempted disarming of a peace officer and resisting a police officer with force or violence.

More charges may be added. The investigation is ongoing and no further information was provided.

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