Officials: Alleged Louisiana cop killer Grover Cannon in custody
SHREVEPORT, La. -The Louisiana fugitive wanted in connection with the shooting death of a Shreveport police officer is in custody, according to the Louisiana State Police.
27-year-old Grover Cannon was captured shortly after 3 p.m. Thursday in Shreveport's Queensborough neighborhood, about a mile from where he allegedly shot and killed Officer Thomas LaValley on Wednesday night, reports CBS affiliate KSLA.
Law enforcement officials across the state and the FBI had been searching for Cannon since the shooting.
Cpl. Marcus Hines of the Shreveport Police said Cannon was captured in a garage structure behind a home after a tip was called in. Earlier Thursday, police were searching for the suspect near a Shreveport daycare, where a staffer said someone damaged her fence and broke in through her back door around 5:30 a.m., reports the station.
The capture was the result of efforts by the FBI, the Shreveport Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service, Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office, and Louisiana State Police. The FBI offered a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to Cannon's arrest.
At a news conference Thursday, Shreveport Police Chief Willie Shaw said Thomas LaValley, 24, a four-year veteran of the force, was shot multiple times while answering a call about a suspicious person at a home in Queensborough.
Shaw said neighbors told the officer that the man inside the home was wanted. Shaw says the officer didn't know the man was armed, and he went inside and was shot.
Police already had a warrant for Cannon's arrest on a charge of second-degree murder, which carries an automatic life sentence; they now have one for first-degree murder, which carries a possible death penalty.
The attempted murder charge stemmed from an unrelated incident last month, police say. He also faces a domestic battery charge.
At the press conference before the fugitive's capture, Shaw called Cannon a coward who shot and ran.
Shaw described LaValley, who came to the department after working as a cameraman at KTBS TV, as "one of our top young people" in his class, and a hero who will never be forgotten.
"He was doing what he loved," Shaw said. "He did not hesitate to confront a bad person."
The mayor of Shreveport issued a statement decrying the death.
"Last night, we lost one of our brave, uniformed officers in the line of duty. Our hearts are saddened," said Mayor Ollie Tyler. "We ask for the community's prayers for this officer's family and SPD as we grieve the loss of one of our own who paid the ultimate sacrifice while serving and protecting the citizens of this city."