Louisiana Man Killed In Police Chase After Fatally Shooting Ex-Girlfriend, Fleeing With 4-Month-Old Baby

A Louisiana man who fatally shot two persons at a residence and fled the scene with a 4-month-old baby was killed in a police chase Tuesday.

Eric Derell Smith, 30, was accused of fatally shooting his ex-girlfriend, Christin Parker, 32, and her nephew Brandon Parker, 26, after entering a residence on 2244 Richmond Street. Smith then left the scene in a vehicle with a 4-month-old child, the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

Smith was pursued by deputies down the Interstate 10 in Harrison County, Mississippi, and was killed after a gun battle with police, WLOX-TV reported, citing Harrison County's coroner. He did not die of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the coroner confirmed.

The baby, who was with Smith during the chase, suffered a gunshot wound. He was found in stable condition when deputies approached the vehicle. The infant was then taken to Merit Health in Biloxi to USA Children’s Hospital, according to WLOX-TV. He is the child of Christin and Smith.

Smith got into trouble with the police earlier in 2017. He was arrested on a misdemeanor battery charge after an altercation with the manager of a store on Sullivan Road. Smith was accused of throwing a plastic cup toward the victim in the middle of the duel, which caused a minor cut on one of his fingers, before punching him in the face and fleeing the scene, court records said as per The Advocate.

In December 2020, Pennsylvania deputies got involved in a gun battle with a suspect who was allegedly involved in a shooting. Two deputies were injured in the shootout and the suspect was killed. The alleged suspect, who was identified only as a former Maryland corrections officer, opened fire at the deputies after they located him at a parking lot, striking one of them in the stomach and the other in the leg. The deputies were rushed to a hospital. Police did not describe the injuries suffered by the suspect.