Suspect In Police Shooting Surrenders

Authorities allege a theft suspect fleeing police shot a deputy to death, wounded another, tied up a family and held an elderly man hostage for hours before surrendering peacefully Friday.

John Lee Cheek, 31, of Houston, walked out of 81-year-old Cliff Lala's home after about 30 minutes of negotiations, said Col. John Fortunato of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's office. Lala was unharmed.

"Once we were able to establish contact with him, he agreed to surrender," Fortunato said. "He came out peacefully with no problem."

His arrest followed a pursuit through suburban New Orleans and a standoff in which at least 200 heavily armed police officers, including SWAT teams from six agencies and prison guards with bloodhounds, swarmed around Lala's little frame house.

"We had officers chasing him at better than 100 miles an hour all the way into New Orleans and back again," said Capt. James Gallagher of the police department in nearby Kenner.

Authorites allege Cheek, suspected of several Texas thefts, started the violent spree about 1 a.m. Friday, when St. John the Baptist Parish Deputy Monty Adams attempted to make a routine traffic stop.

"The driver came to a stop, then made a U-turn and opened fire on our unit as he drove back past it," said Maj. Michael Tregre, of the St. John the Baptist sheriff's department.

Adams gave chase until a bullet wound to his left thigh made him stop.

During the search for the car involved, sheriff's Capt. Octavio Gonzalez was killed after he apparently came across Cheek trying to steal another vehicle, Tregre said.

"A resident called and said he saw a man dragging a body on the street," Tregre said. "When we got there Capt. Gonzalez had been dragged to the curb and had three apparent gunshot wounds."

Authorities say Cheek and Crystal Reed, 27, drove off in Gonzalez's unmarked car before breaking into the Kenner home of an 81-year-old woman. Gallagher said Cheek tied up the woman, her daughter and a 12-year-old boy and demanded money and her car.

With police again chasing him, Cheek drove that car into a drainage ditch. Reed was arrested trying to run away but Cheek escaped and ran to Lala's home, Gallagher said.

By 8 a.m., authorities began evacuating nearby houses. Officers wearing bulletproof vests, helmets and carrying heavy shields were transported to the house in an armored vehicle.

Tregre said officers from many agencies responded after hearing about the death of Gonzalez, who leaves behind a wife and two young sons. He saw one of the boys hit his first home run before going on duty Thursday night, Tregre said.
MARY FOSTER