Louisiana Officer Fatally Shot While Responding To Disturbance

Doyline, LA – A Webster Parish sheriff’s deputy, who was working part-time as a Doyline police officer, was fatally shot while responding to a disturbance call on Friday evening.

The deputy was working the capacity of a Doyline police officer when he was killed, KTBS reported.

The incident began at about 6 p.m. on July 9 when law enforcement officers responded to a call about a disturbance in the 400-block of Green Tree Road.

When the officers – including two Webster Parish sheriff’s deputies – arrived on the scene, they were greeted by gunfire, KTBS reported.

Webster Parish Sheriff Jason Parker said that Webster Parish Sheriff’s Deputy and Doyline Police Patrol Officer William “Billy” Earl Collins Jr. was first to the arrive and the scene.

Deputy Collins was shot in the head, KTBS reported.

The other two deputies with him were not wounded.

Louisiana State Police Troop G Spokesman Jonathan Odom said the gunman barricaded himself inside a mobile home after he shot Deputy Collins and engaged in a standoff with law enforcement for more than four hours, KTBS reported.

More than 200 law enforcement officers from agencies all over the area, including other parishes, the state responded to the scene to assist, the Minden Press-Herald reported.

Shortly before 11 p.m., gunshots were heard from inside the mobile home and then an ambulance transported the suspect from the scene to a waiting helicopter.

“It’s a very sad event for me to be able to come up here and speak to y’all, but I’ve got to give somebody justice,” Sheriff Parker told reporters at the scene. “I’m very sad to say tonight, around 7:43 p.m., we lost a good man. The family lost a good husband, a good father, a good Webster Parish deputy, and a good patrol officer for the City of Doyline, that loved and served his citizens well.”

“It just breaks my heart, because every time we put on this uniform, and we go out and try to serve the public, this could happen to any one of us,” the sheriff said.

He said that Deputy Collins had served the Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office for 10 years, the Minden Press-Herald reported.

“My heart goes out to the family, my main focus over the next few days, next few weeks, months, is going to support them, and give them all that I can to help make this better and give them some closure,” Sheriff Parker said.

The sheriff refused to name the suspect at the press conference, the Minden Press-Herald reported.

“We have the suspect in custody, but the only name I’m going to mention tonight is Deputy, Doyline Police Officer, William Earl Collins Jr., also known as Billy,” he insisted. “He will be truly missed, and I cannot say how hard it is for me to say that for us tonight.”

Sheriff Parker thanked the other first responders who had rushed to their aid after the officer was shot, the Minden-Press-Herald reported.

“I cannot leave here tonight without thanking all of the resources, all of the Sheriff’s from other parishes, all of the patrol city officers coming and responding, EMS, fire. It’s just overwhelming. If I tried to start naming everybody, I’d leave somebody out. Everybody knows who they are, and I cannot imagine I could do this without them,” the sheriff said.

BREAKING NEWS: DOYLINE POLICE OFFICER SHOT; LOUISIANA STATE POLICE ON SCENE

A Doyline police officer was just shot in Webster Parish. Several officers from LSP are now responding to the scene.The officer is getting ready to be air-lifted to Ochsner Health Hospital. 🙏🏿 FOR HIM! pic.twitter.com/MkmrM3e8DJ

— Reporter Timmy Lane (@ReporterTimmy) July 10, 2021

Doyline Mayor Steven Bridwell said “Billy was loved in the community,” the Minden Press-Herald reported.

“I’ve lived in this quiet community just about all my life, and this has got to be the most tragic day that I’ve experienced here, and I never thought I’d see this here, in our community,” Bridwell said.

He asked the community to keep Deputy Collins’ family in their prayers, the Minden Press-Herald reported.