According to WWLTV, the CBS affiliate in New Orleans, the suspect in the shooting of Saskatchewan Roughrider running back Joe McKnight was arrested for a road rage incident 10 years ago.
McKnight was shot and killed Thursday afternoon in the community of Terrytown, just across the Mississippi River from New Orleans. Authorities have identified 54-year-old Ronald Gasser, who stayed at the scene, as the shooter and he was released overnight, sparking criticism.
From the WWLTV story.
According to information released Friday evening by the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, Gasser was involved in an incident on Feb. 20, 2006… a 51-year-old Marrero man called 911 in Jefferson Parish to report that a “male subject was driving a red pick-up truck unsafely on Holiday Drive,” according to the Sheriff’s Office. The man also called a number on the side of truck to report if the truck was being driven unsafely.
“When the victim called the phone number, an individual, later identified as Ronald Gasser told the victim he was the one driving the red pick up truck. A verbal altercation began between the victim and Gasser began at that time,” said the sheriff’s office.
The man pulled in the gas station and was filling his vehicle, when Gasser, “who had followed him into the station, confronted him and began to strike him with a closed fist several times.
Gasser was issued a summons for simple battery, and a charge of simple battery was dismissed.
Authorities said Gasser shot McKnight three times from inside his car with a semi-automatic handgun while McKnight was standing outside. Witnesses said the two had been in a heated argument, according to the sheriff.
Normand defended his handling of the case, saying the investigation was ongoing. No charges have been filed. Protesters upset at Gasser’s release gathered outside the sheriff’s office earlier Friday.
Speaking of Gasser’s release, the sheriff said the state has certain “statutes” that provide a defence to certain crimes but did not go into further detail.
– with files from WWLTV.com and AP.
