BPD, WPSO work with U.S. Marshals to arrest murder suspect
Published 1:11 pm Wednesday, October 12, 2016
The Bogalusa Police Department and the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office recently teamed up with the U.S. Marshals to arrest a man wanted in St. Tammany Parish for a murder committed there on Oct. 4.
According to acting Police Chief Gene Crosby, Bogalusa police officers got a call at about 6 a.m. Tuesday morning that Demetri James, 19, might be hiding in Bogalusa.
Crosby said James was arrested at 6:45 a.m. without incident.
James was wanted by the St. Tammany Sheriff’s Office for allegedly fatally shooting 32-year-old Brandon Washington as part of a robbery at the Green Springs Motel in Covington.
According to a press release from the St. Tammany Sheriff’s Office, James and three others, Terry Hoofkin, 27, Tyreek Sandifer, 18 and Devin Decoud, 37, went to Washington’s hotel room to rob him and ended up murdering him. Although all four men are charged with the murder, the press release states that James was the one who shot Washington.
Crosby said James lives in Bogalusa and gave an address at Redmond Heights, which is where he was arrested. However, the St. Tammany Sheriff’s Office reports that all four suspects are from Covington.
Since the murder, St. Tammany law enforcement had been on the hunt for James and they described him as “armed and dangerous.”
Crosby praised their officers, and he pointed out the arrest could have gone badly except for the professionalism of all involved. Crosby said he wanted to thank Capt. Kendall Bullen, acting Capt. Michael Bracey and private John Stogner.
In addition to murder, James was also charged by the Bogalusa Police Department as a fugitive from an outside agency.
Washington Parish Sherriff Randy Seal said no matter where alleged murderers run, they will be found.
“Yesterday law enforcement agencies joined forces to arrest Demetri James in Bogalusa, who was wanted for murder from St Tammany Parish,” Seal said. “Criminals may cross parish lines, but they will not escape justice. I appreciate the cooperation between all law enforcement agencies.”