State Police Investigating Deputy-Involved Shooting in Avoyelles Parish

On May 28, 2021, at approximately 7:00 p.m., the Avoyelles Parish Sheriff’s Office (APSO) requested the Louisiana State Police Bureau of Investigations/Alexandria Field Office (LSP AFO) to investigate a deputy-involved shooting. Detectives from LSP AFO responded to the scene.

The preliminary investigation revealed that deputies with APSO responded to a residence on Louisiana Highway 114 in Hessmer, in reference to a follow-up investigation that involved a domestic disturbance. As deputies arrived on scene and began approaching the residence, the suspect, identified as 70-year-old Ovide Joseph Moras, of Hessmer, presented a firearm and began shooting at them. As a result, deputies returned gunfire striking Moras. He sustained severe injuries and was transported to a local hospital for treatment. No one else was injured during the encounter.
The Louisiana State Police will serve as the lead investigative agency. No further information is available at this time.