Officer shot & killed in Doyline; suspect in custody

WEBSTER PARISH, La. (KSLA) - Webster Parish Sheriff Jason Parker confirmed an officer has died after being shot on Green Tree Street in Doyline.

Officials say William “Billy” Earl Collins, Jr. was a full-time deputy at the Bayou Dorcheat Correction Center and was serving part-time as a Doyline police officer when he was shot.

At around 5:45 p.m., Collins and two other deputies were responding to a disturbance call on Green Tree Road. Upon arrival, the suspect immediately took fire on the deputies and Collins was shot.

Collins was airlifted to Ochsner LSU Health where he died just after 7:40 p.m. The two deputies were not injured.

Multiple law enforcement agencies gathered at the scene, where negotiators attempted to contact the suspect inside a trailer to no avail.

After several hours of attempting to resolve the situation peacefully, officers entered the residence. They discovered the suspect had a gunshot wound and began life-saving measures. He was transported to a hospital where he remains in critical condition.

View the full press conference below:

A news conference was held later in the evening where Sheriff Parker and Mayor Steven Bridwell expressed their condolences.

“We lost a good man. Family lost a good husband, good father, a good Webster Parish deputy, a good reserve officer, patrol officer for the city of Doyline, that loved and served his citizens well. It just breaks my heart because every time we put on this uniform and we go out and we try to serve the public, this could happen to anybody. This could happen to any one of us. My heart goes out to the family,” said Parker.

“I have lived in this community most of my life and this has got to be the most tragic day that I’ve ever experienced here and I never thought I would see this in our community. Billy was loved in the community, leaves behind a family. All we can do is ask for support, thoughts, keep family in your prayers, pray that things like this don’t happen again,” said Mayor Bridwell.

Louisiana State Police continue to investigate the incident and all charges are pending at this time.

This is a developing story. Stay with KSLA News 12 for updates.

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