SHREVEPORT, La — A Shreveport man, Devin Rashard Ned, has been found guilty of attempting to run over a police officer during a high-speed chase in 2021. On Wednesday, September 11, 2024, a Caddo District Court jury, comprised of six men and six women, returned the guilty verdict after two hours of deliberation. The trial was presided over by District Judge Donald E. Hathaway Jr.
Ned, 24, was convicted on charges of attempted manslaughter of police officer and aggravated flight from an officer. The charges stemmed from an incident that took place on August 26, 2021, when a homeowner called 911 to report suspicious activity near her residence at 2:30 a.m. Upon the arrival of Shreveport Police officers, Ned fled the scene in a stolen vehicle, leading officers on a high-speed chase through a residential area.
The chase, which reached speeds exceeding 80 mph, ended on Missouri Avenue when Ned drove into a dead-end street. As officers attempted to apprehend him, Ned reversed his vehicle and struck a uniformed police officer. In response, the officer, fearing for his life, fired his weapon at the car, hitting Ned in the shoulder. Despite the gunshot wound, Ned crashed into a nearby privacy fence before being arrested.
During the trial, witnesses, including the homeowner whose fence was damaged, testified that Ned deliberately struck the officer. Police also recovered a firearm with an extended magazine from the stolen vehicle Ned was driving.
Ned is scheduled to be sentenced on October 1, 2024, and faces up to 20 years in prison for the attempted manslaughter charge, with an additional five years at hard labor for the aggravated flight charge.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Jason Waltman and Stephen Folk-Cruthird, with defense attorneys Katie Ferguson and Evan McMichael representing Ned. The case was filed under docket No. 384942.
