Joe McKnight’s shooter charged with manslaughter

Responding to community outrage that the Louisiana man who shot and killed former National Football League player Joe McKnight in an alleged road-rage incident had initially been set free, Jefferson Parish sheriff Newell Normand went on a explicit, slur-laden tirade during a Tuesday press conference in defense of officials’ actions. He was charged Monday with one count of manslaughter in McKnight’s death.

Gasser was released last week without charges pending further investigation of McKnight’s death. According to the Washington Post, the sheriff did not say whether McKnight tried to pry open the door, but bent down to speak to Gasser “eye to eye”.

“I can promise you that had I made an arrest Thursday night, they would not have come forward”, Normand said.

Even with the arrest and charge, the case is still “maturing”, he said.

Hill said he remembered watching McKnight on a nationally televised game when John Curtis faced Hoover, the No. 1-ranked team in the country.

When deputies arrived to the scene, they said, Gasser admitted to the shooting. Gasser was released from police custody after the shooting.

Eventually, Normand said McKnight “hemmed in” Gasser’s vehicle in between several cars at a stoplight as the verbal sparring continued.

“And so many other things that we were able to gain during the course of our interaction with Mr. Gasser because of what we were able to do strategically”, Normand told reporters Tuesday during a press conference. One of the first people interviewed lied, Normand said, adding, “Shame on that individual”. Some parts of Gasser’s statements could have been self-serving, he added. Normand conceded that it was likely Gasser would use this defense with prosecutors. Witnesses told investigators they spotted Gasser and McKnight cutting each other off and “zipping around other vehicles” before McKnight got out of his SUV at a red light in Terrytown and confronted Gasser.

The argument – allegedly sparked after one of the drivers cut the other off – lasted for several blocks until McKnight pulled over and got out of his auto. “We conducted over 160 interviews in this case”.

Gasser’s initial release just hours after the shooting drew attention to Louisiana’s “stand your ground” law.

At some point Gasser reached between his seat and the centre console, pulled out his gun and shot McKnight three times.

It was then that Gasser shot McKnight.

The sheriff said McKnight had a gun in his vehicle but no evidence suggested he insinuated anything about it.

A spokesman for the McKnight family said in a statement last week that “the family is distressed, distraught”.

“At some point in time we’re going to have to come to grips with the dialogue and the rhetoric in this country”, Normand said.

McKnight played for the Trojans from 2007-2010.