Highlights
- Attempted manslaughter, aggravated assault, and aggravated battery charges dismissed against Savannah Butler after new video evidence surfaces
- Attorney General’s Office dropped charges after viewing the complete surveillance footage showing self-defense
- St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office didn’t get the complete video from the alarm company during the initial investigation
- Butler still faces obstruction of justice and malfeasance charges
- December 2023 incident at Butler’s home injured Chief Craig “Twin” Leblanc and his wife, Crystal Leblanc
Major Charges Dismissed Against Former Opelousas Officer in Police Chief Shooting Case
New surveillance footage prompts Attorney General to dismiss most serious charges against former officer in December 2023 shooting of Opelousas police chief and his wife.
OPELOUSAS, La. (KPEL News) — A former Opelousas police officer won’t face the most serious charges from a December 2023 shooting that wounded Police Chief Craig “Twin” Leblanc and his wife. Prosecutors dropped the charges after reviewing surveillance footage that defense attorneys say shows self-defense.
Savannah Butler, 42, was indicted in October 2024 on charges including attempted manslaughter, aggravated assault with a firearm, and aggravated battery for the shooting at her St. Landry Parish home. Her attorney, Harry Daniels, said the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office moved to dismiss those three charges on Friday after watching the complete video from that night.
What St. Landry Parish Residents Need to Know
The dismissal is a major turn in the case that’s gotten attention across Acadiana since the shooting on December 22, 2023. Butler still faces three counts of obstruction of justice and three counts of malfeasance in office…