Barbara Lassere Case: Traffic stop over broken headlight leads to 60-year-old woman's fatal shooting, police say

By: Crimesider Staff
Topics: Daily Blotter

Tim Boyle/Getty Images

(CBS/AP) LAPLACE, La. - State police say a 60-year-old woman fatally shot by a St. John the Baptist Parish sheriff's deputy was pulled over because of a broken headlight.

Troopers say Barbara Lassere was shot after evading a Thursday morning traffic stop.

Trooper Melissa Matey tells the Times-Picayune Lassere refused to get out of the car when she was stopped and instead brandished a gun before fleeing the scene.

She says the deputy then engaged in a slow-speed chase, following Lassere to a nearby home where police say Lassere then again refused to exit the car and fired a round at the deputy.

Matey says the deputy returned fire fatally injuring Lassere.

Sheriff Mike Tregre says state police will now handle the investigation into the shooting.

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by davidd5063 January 24, 2013 4:02 PM EST

The state police should have been contacted the MOMENT the woman brandished the gun and fled the scene. The locals could have blocked her car into her drive with theirs and kept their heads down until multiple officers were on the scene. It doesn't matter how old she is, if she's got loaded gun and brandishing it at police, she's either dangerous or very crazy or both - in any event, better trained and more professional law enforcement should have obviously been engaged by the locals.

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by well_I_say January 24, 2013 8:51 PM EST: With the right to carry a gun comes the responsibility not to be crazy.


by vagrant45 January 25, 2013 1:34 AM EST: So if your the deputy and someone shoots at you . You should retreat and wait for better trained and more professional law enforcement? Rather than return fire.


by caljack430 January 24, 2013 3:27 PM EST: Can't wait to find out what the heck else she's done that made her act that way...; Reply to this comment