A Louisiana cop has been charged after two cheerleaders were killed after the officer ran a red light during a high-speed chase. Another man is also in critical condition. The suspect was charged with two counts of manslaughter.
High-speed chase ends in tragedy
On New Year’s Eve, Louisiana police officer David Cauthron, 42, was in pursuit of 24-year-old suspect Tyquel Zanders, who allegedly broke into the home of a family member and stole his father’s car, and the Daily Mail reported.
In Baton Rouge, officers attempted to pull Zanders over, but he refused to stop, and a chase ensued.
During a chase that extended through multiple parishes (Louisiana’s version of counties), the suspect ran multiple red lights and reached speeds of 110 mph at times, according to police documents.
Police officer Cauthron was driving at approximately 86 miles per hour when he ran a red light and did not hit his brakes, according to witnesses, WBRZ reported.
According to witnesses, the light had been red for about 20 seconds when Cauthron’s vehicle reached the intersection and struck the victim’s car. The impact pushed the car into the median of the highway.
The two occupants were 17-year-old Maggie Dunn and 16-year-old Caroline Gill, both cheerleaders. They were pronounced dead at the scene. A third victim, Dunn’s teenage brother, Liam, 19, was taken to a hospital, where he remains in critical condition, according to WBRC2/ABC. Liam is a freshman at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
Charges against officer and original suspect
Officer David Cauthron was arrested and booked Sunday night, January 1, on two counts of negligent homicide and one count of negligent injuring.
The charges were announced by eighteenth Judicial District Attorney Tony Clayton, who said, “That cop has a lot of questions to answer pertaining to his speed and sheer negligence. The public can rest assured, we will follow the facts.”
Cauthron was released from jail exactly a week later on a $100,000 bond, according to jail records.
The suspect, Zanders, continued driving after Cauthron’s crash. He was apprehended soon after when his car stalled. He is facing two counts of manslaughter, theft of a motor vehicle, home invasion, and aggravated flight from a police officer, Fox reported.
“He [Zanders] put the chain of events into play,” DA Tony Clayton told The Advocate. “He’s responsible for all the reactions to his actions. He’s facing two counts, and if that poor kid [Liam Dunn] doesn’t survive, he’ll face another.”
