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Man who killed ex-Jets player Joe McKnight in road rage incident charged with manslaughter
Man who killed ex-Jets player Joe McKnight in road rage incident charged with manslaughter
The Louisiana driver who shot and killed former New York Jets player Joe McKnight has been booked for manslaughter after initially walking free.
Ronald Gasser was arrested on one count on manslaughter, Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand announced Tuesday morning, during an emotional, rant-filled press conference where he scolded protesters who demanded an earlier arrest.
Gasser, 54, was questioned but not charged after the Thursday shooting, sparking outrage in Louisiana and across the country. On Tuesday, Normand defended his office's move to charge Gasser later rather than sooner.
“Justice has no time period," he said. "Justice is not a sprint. It is a marathon. These investigations are marathons.”
Joe McKnight’s slayer ducks charges under low La. arrest standard
Then, Normand cut into his critics.
Ronald Gasser was arrested on manslaughter charges for the fatal shooting of Joe McKnight.
“If people don’t think that we know what we’re doing strategically: Tough. I don’t care,” Normand said. "I can put my head on the pillow every night knowing that we did the right thing for the right reasons.”
Activists who believed police were not acting fast enough lashed out at anyone who encouraged the public to give investigators time and not jump to conclusions, including several lawmakers and pastors who asked for pause, Normed said. He blamed those protesters for "tearing" the community apart.
“We collectively should be ashamed of ourselves,” he barked, slamming his hand on the podium. “It’s not about the right thing; It’s not about justice and it’s not about the process. It’s about what we want, and what we want now. And we don’t care who we disparage in the process.”
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He went on to read profane online threats made against the politicians and leaders who supported the extended investigation.
“That’s the tone of what we’re calling our elected leaders?” he asked after rattling off the obscene comments. “Really? And the tone of these go on and on and on and on and on and all we simply asked for was let them do their jobs.”
Normand defended the Tuesday arrest, saying that more witnesses came forward over the weekend — people who likely would not have gone to police if they knew a suspect was already in custody — and their accounts helped prosecutors build a strong case against Gasser.
“Our arrest is only as good as the prosecution,” he said. “We accomplish nothing if we make an arrest and we can’t put ourselves in the best posture … to reach a successful prosecution.”
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Gasser’s lawyers filed a motion Tuesday for his release, claiming there was no probable cause behind the arrest, TMZ reported.
Former New York Jets running back Joe McKnight was shot and killed last week.
(RON ANTONELLI/NEW YORK DAILY NEWS )McKnight was shot and killed Thursday afternoon outside of his car in Terrytown, a suburb of New Orleans, after he and Gasser got into a fight while they were driving, police said.
The argument — allegedly sparked after one of the drivers cut the other off — lasted for several blocks until McKnight pulled over and got out of his car.
Gasser fired at McKnight at least three times from inside his own car, police said. McKnight was shot in the chest, shoulder and hand.
Gasser stayed seated in his car as medics on the scene tried to revive the 28-year-old former football player. When police arrived, Gasser confessed to killing the other driver, police said. Gasser's cooperation with the investigation factored into the initial decision to release him without charges, authorities have said.
Balloons, flowers and stuffed animals well-wishers left at the intersection where ex-NFL player Joe McKnight was shot Thursday.
(REBECCA SANTANA/AP)Outrage grew over the initial refusal to charge Gasser when records showed he had another road-rage incident a decade ago — at the very same intersection whereMcKnight died.
In February 2006, Gasser followed a man who complained about his driving at a gas station, and then punched him several times in the face. Gasser was charged with simple battery, but the case was later dismissed. It’s unclear why those charges were dropped.
McKnight, a Louisiana native, was drafted by the Jets as a running back in 2010. He later signed with the Kansas City Chiefs, but retired from the NFL in 2014 after an Achilles tendon injury.
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