Remembering two Sheriff Deputies killed in the line of duty one year ago; prayers continue

St. John Deputies killed one year ago remembered

 

 

 

 

 

wwltv.com

Posted on August 16, 2013

           

LAPLACE, La. - It's been a year since two St. John the Baptist deputies were killed in an early morning ambush in a trailer park as they searched for suspects in an earlier shooting.

Friday, Jeremy Triche and Brandon Nielsen were remembered by hundreds at a ceremony at the New Wine Christian Fellowship Church in LaPlace.

Parents of the two men spoke to the crowd and dozens of black and blue balloons were lifted into the sky.

The incident that left the two men dead began as Deputy Michael Boyington was setting up an early morning traffic detail outside a parking lot when he was shot.  Triche and Nielsen, who responded to the Riverview Mobile Home Park to find the suspect who shot Boyington, were interviewing two suspects when a third suspect ambushed them and fatally shot the deputies.  A fourth deputy, Jason Triche, was also shot and injured at the trailer park.
The violence rocked the River Parishes.

"It's still fresh in a lot of citizens' minds," said Sheriff Mike Tregre. "A lot of people can't believe it's been one year."

"The community is what helps us through this," said Edie Triche, Jeremy's mother. "The police officers all ride by and talk to us on a daily basis."
Seven suspects were charged in the aftermath. Twenty-four-year old Brian Lyn Smith was charged with attempted first degree murder.  His father, 44-year-old Terry Smith, his other son 22-year-old Derrick Smith, 28-year-old Kyle David Joekel and 21-year-old Teniecha Bright are facing principal to attempted first degree murder charges.