Deputy Accused of Killing Teller, Taking Hostages

HOUMA, La. â€”  A deputy sheriff accused of storming into the bank where his estranged wife works and fatally shooting a teller surrendered Friday, freeing his wife and another hostage more than 24 hours after the standoff began.

Chad Louviere, 24, was still wearing his uniform when officers set off a concussion grenade to distract him and tackled him as he escorted the two hostages out the back door. He did not struggle.

Louviere was charged with murder, rape, battery and several counts of kidnapping, said Dist. Atty. Doug Greenburg, who said he would seek the death penalty.

Louviere’s motive for storming the bank and allegedly shooting the teller Thursday was unclear.

The dead woman was identified as ArgentBank teller Pamela Duplantis, 27, the mother of a 9-year-old girl. State police spokesman Danny Franklin said she was shot in the head as the gunman rounded up bank employees.

The last two hostages, both tellers, were identified as Adele Louviere and Janene Blanchard. They were treated at a hospital and released “in very good shape, considering,� spokesman Robert Callahan said. Three other hostages had been released earlier.

Louviere also was identified by police as a suspect in a rape Thursday morning, about two hours after he reported for duty and shortly before the standoff began. A woman claimed she was stopped by an officer in a patrol car, told she was speeding, ushered into the car and raped near a sugar cane field.