The man who shot former NFL running back Joe McKnight has not been charged yet. But he still could be.
Jefferson Parish sheriff Newell Normand told reporters on Friday that the investigation will proceed in a “deliberate” and “credible” way, with no “rush to judgment.”
“If you do not dot every ‘i’ and cross every ‘t’ and there are deficiencies in what you do from an investigatory standpoint, it has dire consequences,” Sheriff Normand said.
Sheriff Normand also advised caution regarding the use of social media, and he said that any demonstrations regarding the incident must comply with all state and local laws.
“I would ask the community to pause and reflect that if you start with ‘I feel,’ that is a slippery slope,” Sheriff Normand said. “It’s what the evidence suggests, what the evidence reveals, and what the evidence is.”
Sheriff Normand added that the shooter, Ronald Gasser, did not stand over McKnight. Gasser, according to Sheriff Normand, was in his car when the shots were fired. The shell casings, Normand said, were in the car.
Also, Sheriff Normand said there is no video of the shooting, and no witness account of any “apology” being made by McKnight to Gasser.
The reference to the shots being fired by Gasser while in his car brings into play Louisiana’s “Kill the Carjacker” law, an extension of the “stand your ground” law that allows for a person to use deadly force to defend himself while in a vehicle. And this could set the stage for Gasser never being charged or, if he’s charged, acquitted of any crime that he may have allegedly committed.