SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – Two Shreveport men pleaded guilty to charges on Monday, January 9, and are facing years of prison time and hard labor after shots were fired at a Shreveport police officer in 2018.
Rodriguez Smith, 41, pleaded guilty to aggravated assault of a peace officer and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was sentenced to eight years at hard labor on the aggravated assault conviction and sentenced to 13 years on the firearm conviction.
Ladarren Jackson, 38, pleaded guilty to aggravated assault of a peace officer and was sentenced to eight years at hard labor.
The trials were set to begin in District Judge John D. Mosely Jr.’s courtroom on Monday, with Assistant District Attorneys Christopher Bowman and Alexandra Porubsky prosecuting, Jay Antonio Florence representing Smith, and Harry Johnson representing Jackson.
Shreveport Police Sgt. Mike Jones, the officer involved, was consulted and agreed to the sentences.
On September 15, 2018, a 911 call alerted Shreveport police to two men shooting handguns in the air as they walked down the street. Sgt. Jones responded to the 911 call, and when he arrived on the scene and stepped out of his cruiser, both Smith and Jackson assumed ambush postures and exposed their firearms. Shots were exchanged, and damage inflicted on Smith’s gun that established it had been pointed at Sgt. Jones when damaged. Jackson fled to his residence several blocks away but was identified and quickly located. The weapon Jackson used was found during a search of the home.
Much of the incident was recorded on Sgt. Jones’ dashcam.
