MOBILE, Ala. (NBC 15) — Court testimony revealed a midtown couple accused of shooting a Mobile police officer lured law enforcement to their home in an attempt to provoke a fatal confrontation they hoped would take their lives. Justin Senia, 40, and Arielle Perrault, 34, barricaded themselves in their Tuscaloosa Street home on Sunday, January 4th and emerged hours later after a MPD armored vehicle rammed the home, and gas was dispersed. During a preliminary hearing on Thursday, Det. Kenyada Taylor testified the couple set in motion their foiled double suicide by cop plans by purposely shooting at a neighbor’s home and car to draw police to the area, then they ambushed them. Lt. Lorenzo Matthews was shot in the abdomen on their front porch as he knocked on their door. He drove himself to the hospital.
“Lt. Matthews was severely injured. He has a very long recovery process. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family. This neighborhood was absolutely terrorized by this incident,” said Mobile County District Attorney Keith Blackwood.
Taylor testified that the couple fired 55 shots, while police fired one shot in return. Taylor says they recovered two Glock 9 mm handguns, a rifle, a shotgun, and air rifles at the couple’s home. Taylor says one pellet traveled through two walls of a neighbor’s home and hit the headboard of their bed, two inches from the neighbor’s head. Taylor says police flew a drone into the couple’s home during the standoff, and they were observed donning gas masks and hearing protection. The windows and doors were barricaded. After they surrendered, Taylor testified Senia told her he’d planned the standoff with the voices in his head the day before and how they wanted police to kill them. Senia told her, “I guess my stupid plan didn’t work.” Defense attorneys stated the suspects obviously have mental health issues and they would be requesting psychological evaluations…