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Man killed, two deputies injured during Thursday raid in north Baton Rouge
BATON ROUGE — A confrontation during a drug raid Thursday ended with two deputies injured by gunfire and one man inside the house shot to death, authorities said.
Tyquarius Armstrong, 21, was in the back bedroom of the house on Robertson Avenue when deputies and DEA agents executed a search warrant Thursday morning. Body camera video from the encounter, released several hours after the shooting, appears to show Armstrong raising a gun when deputies kicked open the bedroom door.
Authorities had announced their presence as they approached the house near the intersection of North Foster Drive and Hollywood Street.
"Come on, let's go. Sheriff's Office. Search warrant," one called out as the group approached the carport door, the video shows.
Inside, a unit leader told a colleague to "take the hall" as he entered a room with a bed and a desktop computer. Seconds later, another law enforcement officer kicked open the door to the next room. The portion of the video released by the sheriff's office stopped just after Armstrong apparently fired at the officers.
One deputy had a serious injury to his lower abdomen. The other was hit in his ballistic vest.
"Once fired upon, deputies returned fire," a sheriff's office statement read.
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Sheriff Sid Gautreaux later visited the wounded deputies, who are both expected to recover. He refused to identify them because of their undercover work.
"This incident exemplifies how dangerous this job can be every day," Gautreaux said. "I'm grateful our deputies are not more seriously injured."
Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome released a statement expressing gratitude toward the deputies.
"This incident underscores the daily risks faced by our law enforcement officers, and we are committed to supporting them fully and ensuring their safety," she said.
Attorney Ron Haley, who represents Armstrong's family, said he was pleased that authorities acted quickly to release body camera footage from the raid.
"I do appreciate the sheriff's office not waiting days and weeks and weeks to release it. They immediately gathered information and released what they needed to the public to try and keep that trust with law enforcement and the public," Haley said.
But Haley said he still has questions about what led up to the gunfire.
"Well, what about this residence that led to them to believe that there was contraband worthy of this use of police force?" he said. "Two deputies shot and a suspect that was probably not the subject of this investigation? The juice is not worth the squeeze in this case."
According to East Baton Rouge state court records, Armstrong has no previous charges aside from a seat belt violation. His brother, who also lives at the house, is awaiting trial drug distribution and gun charges.
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