A Lafourche Parish Sheriff's deputy died in the line of duty Wednesday morning. She was runover and killed responding to a burglary.
"The deputy confronted a suspect... the last thing that dispatchers heard was a scream from the deputy," Sheriff's Spokesman Larry Weidel told WWL First News.
He says the suspect slammed his pick up truck into 53-year-old Martha Woods Shareef. She died a short time later.
A worker at the Nocko's convenience store in Chackbay saw what happened and gave police a description of the vehicle.
"State Police encountered the vehicle and fired some shots," Weidel said. "The vehicle being pursued... wrecked near the bayou. The suspect jumped into the bayou and swam across from Highway 1 to Highway 308."
Listen to Weidel:
Four hours later, after a massive manhunt, cops found the suspect hiding under a house on the bayou side on Highway 308. He is identified as 41-year-old Bill Daigle of the Houma/Bayou Blue area
(right).
Weidel says, "It's a very sad day... We've lost an officer, a good person... It's a tragic loss."
A news release says, "The officer killed has been identified as Martha Woods Shareef, age 53, of 915 School Street, Thibodaux, La. She was a 15 year veteran of the Lafourche Parish Sheriff?s Office, having served as a Patrol Officer, School Resource Officer, and supervisor. Martha was best known for her inspiring version of the Star Spangled Banner which she sang at all graduations and formal functions of the Sheriff?s Office."
At a news conference Wednesday afternoon, Sheriff Craig Webre had harsh words for the suspect.
"I just hope I'm alive when he breathes his last breath on his journey to hell," said Webre.
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