Officers and community leaders gather for Crime Stoppers segment

More than 40 law enforcement officers and community leaders gathered in a show of force against street gang violence as they filmed a St. Landry Parish Crime Stoppers segment Wednesday morning.
Capt. Clay Higgins, St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office public information officer and St. Landry Parish Crime Stoppers spokesman, said, “Street gang violence plagues our country from sea to shining sea. The LSP (Louisiana State Police) has asked to use our Crime Stoppers production, because of the vast reach, to highlight felony warrants on seven members of the hyper-violent street gang, the Gremlins.
“I’m going to make those criminals famous in a very bad way, however, our message will be much larger than seven felony warrants on seven fugitive gang members. We’ll be sending a message to Acadiana and the world that a unified community need not cower from gang violence, that here in St. Landry Parish, we’re just not going to tolerate violent gang activity, and that, by extension, communities across America should unite shoulder to shoulder against violent street gangs.”
After a year-long investigation, 10 members of the Gremlins gang were arrested in December of last year on charges including racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering and engaging in a criminal street gang. Seven of the gang members are still at large. They are identified as Aaron Carter, Darren Carter, Travis Cooper, Cody Guidry, Jerran Diggs, Kirkland Demouchet and Jonathan Landry.
Investigators from the LSP are searching for these individuals, and on Feb. 3, investigators received information that Darren Carter and Cooper were in the Grand Coteau area. Members of the gang have also posted music videos, rapping about the crimes they’ve committed, to the Internet.
On Wednesday morning, members of several regional law enforcement agencies and community leaders gathered at the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office headquarters in Opelousas to film the Crime Stoppers segment. Law enforcement agencies participating in the event included: Eunice Police Department, St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Department, Opelousas Police Department, Opelousas City Marshal’s Office, Grand Coteau Police Department, Sunset Police Department, Port Barre Police Department, Krotz Springs Police Department, Arnaudville Police Department, Abbeville Police Department and the Vermillion Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Sgt. Ebony Martin with the Opelousas Police Department said, “This event is to make our community stronger. We all stand together for the effort to reduce crime. This speaks a lot about how law enforcement and communities are working together to reduce crime.”
Martin is a patrol officer and member of department’s SWAT team.
Tyrone Glover, mayor pro tem of Opelousas, was one of the community leaders featured in the segment.
“Capt. Higgins wanted city council members and community leaders and pastors and deacons to participate in the segment. I jumped on the bandwagon and started calling everyone.
“This is to let the community and world know that law enforcement and community leaders stand united against crime and to make all of our communities safer.”
The officers and community leaders were placed amongst the law enforcement vehicles, and three canine officers were also featured in the video.
“You will be hunted, you will be trapped, and if you raise your weapons to a man like me, we’ll return fire with superior fire,” Higgins said as he was filmed. “Darren Carter, do you think men like these are afraid of an uneducated, 125-pound punk like you, that’s never won a fair fight in your life and holds his gun sideways?
“Young man, I’ll meet you on solid ground anytime, anywhere. Light or heavy, makes no difference to me. You won’t walk away. Look at you. Men like us, son, we do dumbbell presses with weights bigger than you. And the convicts in jail, most of those men are good people who just found themselves crossed with the law. They’re not evil and they don’t respect you or any punk like you. They’ll toss you around like a rag doll.”
Higgins encouraged citizens to take back the streets and come forward with an information about the wanted individuals.
“This is not about race,” he said. “It’s about right versus wrong.”
Higgins added, “I’ve got one last message to the Gremlins: you don’t like the things I’ve told you tonight? I’ve got one thing to say — I’m easy to find.”
Those with information on the whereabouts of any of these criminals are asked contact Louisiana State Police Troop I at 337-262-5880 or the US Marshals Service at 337-277-9667.
For more photos from the Crime Stoppers segment, visit eunicetoday.com.