by Paul Murphy / Eyewitness News
ARABI - Answering a domestic disturbance call, a St. Bernard deputy shot and killed a man earlier this morning in the 800 block of Lebeau Street.
Sheriff jack Stephens says the shooting is proof positive that domestic disturbance calls are some of the most dangerous calls for his deputies.
According to the sheriff, 31-year-old Casey Dumas was shot twice by Corporal Marco Spicuzza, shortly after 1 a.m. Friday.
Dumas’ estranged wife Robin Menzato called 911, claiming dumas choked her and threatened to burn down their house in the 800 block of Lebeau Street in Arabi.
The coupled had been married for the past year and recently separated.
The sheriff says as deputies investigated the call, Dumas arrived back on the scene and put a gun in his mouth. He was ordered to drop the weapon and, according to the sheriff, that’s when Dumas pointed the gun at Spicuzza and Spicuzza fired, hitting Dumas in the chest and shoulder.
With Dumas “arriving on the scene, armed, knowing that there was a uniformed officer there, who had responded to a complaint of a domestic violence, drawing the weapon, threatening to kill himself, and certainly pointing the gun at the officer was self-destructive,” said Stephens. “And there can be no outcome than one we had.”
Sheriff Stephens says the shooting is still under investigation, but at this point, he believes it was an appropriate use of deadly force. The sheriff likened the shooting to suicide by cop.
Stephens said Spicuzza, a 12-year veteran of the force, has been reassigned to desk duty while the shooting is under investigation.
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