Suspect Who Vowed To Murder Louisiana Sheriff On Livestream Held On $500,000 Bond

LaPlace, LA – A LaPlace man has been arrested for threatening to murder St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff Mike Tregre and other law enforcement officers in a livestreamed video, according to police.

The investigation into 18-year-old Jakai’lyn Russell began earlier in January, after the St. John the Baptist Sheriff’s Office (SJSO) was made aware of the threatening footage, the department said in a Facebook post on Jan. 28.

The video, which was livestreamed on social media, showed Russell wildly waving a handgun while “threatening to shoot Sheriff Tregre and police officers,” the sheriff’s office said.

“He pointed a gun at the phone while he was recording it,” Sheriff Tregre explained to WDSU. “He had a handgun in his hand, and he swore on his mama’s life that he was going to kill me…saying he’s gonna put bullets between my eyes and [that] I’m not bulletproof.”

The sheriff noted Russell named him in the video multiple times and used “extreme profanity” throughout the clip.

The Louisiana State Police (LSP) launched an investigation into Russell at the request of the SJSO and later obtained a warrant for his arrest, the SJSO said in the press release.

Russell turned himself in to the SJSO on Jan. 26, according to the department.

He has been charged with misdemeanor threatening a public official and was being held on $500,000 bond.

Russell was temporarily held at the Sherman Walker Correctional Facility until he could be transferred to another jail, according to the SJSO.

“The SJSO appreciates the State Police’s swift response and thorough investigation in this case,” Sheriff Tregre said in the press release.

The sheriff said threats like these need to be taken extremely seriously, especially in light of the surge in violent attacks on law enforcement officers throughout the nation, WDSU reported.

He said he’s also thankful to the community members who reached out to notify him about the threats being made against his life.

“The citizens – I much appreciate y’all having my back and making me aware,” the Sheriff Tregre told WDSU.