Officials: Public’s help needed in shooting investigation

City officials say police are doing everything they can to ensure the community’s safety in the wake of last week’s shooting, with one suspect caught and another still wanted.

But authorities still need the public’s help in the investigation.

During Tuesday’s city council meeting, Patterson Mayor Rodney Grogan commended Police Chief Janis Merritt and the police department for their thorough investigation into a Sept. 25 shooting. A female subject, male subject and an alleged shooter were injured in the shooting, Merritt said.

One suspect, Randolph Joseph, 26, was captured by authorities Monday, allegedly while swimming in a lake in Lafayette. Joseph was wanted on a warrant charging him with two counts of attempted second-degree murder in connection with the shooting. Joseph is incarcerated at St. Mary Parish jail with bail set at $500,000. Joseph was also wounded during the Sept. 25 shooting, the chief said.

Kirt Favors Jr., 20, is still at-large, and Patterson police have an arrest warrant for him on one count of attempted second-degree murder in the case. Merritt said police expect to make more arrests in connection with last week’s shooting.

People can reach the police department at 985-395-6161.

Grogan said his comments praising the police department were in response to questions from the community expressing frustrations about the shooting.

“Everyone wants answers. They want arrests right then and there,” Grogan said.

However, investigations take time, and police have to make sure they follow proper procedures during those investigations, the mayor said.

Councilwoman Sandra Turner emphasized the importance of people in the community reporting what they know to police to help solve such crimes. Councilman Joe Russo suggested having a system where people can anonymously report information to police without fear of being identified.

Merritt said police discussed having a reporting system similar to the one Russo described.

“What we basically need is a hotline ... and you remain anonymous,” Merritt said.

Police are in the process of setting up that hotline, but, for now, people should still call the department’s main number.

Grogan mentioned Favors' alleged criminal history and that he had been arrested in an October 2016 shooting in the same area of Patterson. Favors was charged with attempted second-degree murder and discharging a firearm in a school zone in that case.

Grogan said Patterson police are doing their job, but somewhere in the criminal justice process Favors was able to get back into the community.

Merritt responded to Grogan’s comments regarding Favors’ prior attempted murder arrest by saying that the officers who investigated that 2016 shooting are no longer employed by the Patterson Police Department.

Authorities haven’t been able to get those officers to testify in court, which makes prosecuting that case essentially impossible, Merritt said.

The most recent shooting that Favors was allegedly involved in occurred Sept. 25 when Patterson police responded to a report of gunshots in the area of Taft and Plum streets where a man was allegedly running down the street shooting.

One woman was struck in the chest by a bullet after it went through a wall of her home while she was walking into her bedroom, Merritt said. Police later discovered that a male subject was at a hospital being treated for multiple gunshot wounds.

The woman has been released from a hospital, while the male subject is still in a hospital in stable condition, Merritt said Tuesday.

In other business, the council

—Approved a can shake for Patterson High School Project Graduation to be held 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Nov. 10 on Catherine Street.

—Approved the Patterson Knights of Columbus’ Tootsie Roll drive to benefit special needs students. The drive will be from 9 a.m.-noon Oct. 19-20 on Catherine Street.

—Adopted a resolution authorizing Grogan to dispose of items no longer needed for public purposes.

—Adopted a resolution approving the appointment of Grogan as director and Steve Bierhorst as alternate director to represent Patterson on the board of the Louisiana Municipal Natural Gas Purchasing and Distribution Authority.