Capt. Octavio Gonzalez shot, gunman sought in Jefferson

By LEONARD GRAY

Managing Editor

LAPLACE — Capt. Octavio &#8220Ox” Gonzalez, a 14-year veteran of the St. John Parish Sheriff’s Office and commander of the Narcotics Division, was shot and killed early Friday morning, as he confronted two suspects from an earlier shooting.

&#8220It’s a bad dream. It’s a nightmare,” Capt. Michael Tregre, spokesman for the sheriff’s office, said at the scene.

The suspect, Johnny Lee Cheek, 31, of Houston, will be charged with the first-degree murder of a police officer, according to Sheriff Wayne L. Jones.

However, as of press time, Cheek was barricaded in a house in Metairie.

Gonzalez, in his unmarked Ford Expedition, was confronting a man and woman apparently trying to steal a car at the dead end of Pampas Drive near the intersection with Cane Drive in the Spring Meadows Subdivision in LaPlace.

The suspect, identified as Cheek, was being sought for the shooting of another officer only minutes earlier on U.S. 51 during a traffic stop.

Cheek opened fire striking Gonzalez three times, and stole his Expedition, taking it into Kenner.

The episode began at 1:12 a.m., when Monty Adams, a detective with the Narcotics Division, attempted to make a traffic stop on eastbound Interstate 10. The dark green Mazda Millenia was pulled off onto U.S. 51.

Before Adams could exit his unit, Cheek opened fire, hitting Adams once in the left thigh, and drove away. Adams, despite his painful wound, attempted to pursue but gave up due to the painful nature of his wound.

Meanwhile, backup units were responding, and Gonzalez alerted the dispatcher of his whereabouts in the Spring Meadows subdivision to assist in the pursuit.

At 1:48 a.m., the St. John 911 dispatcher received a call from an unidentified resident in the area of a man dragging the body of another man in the street on Pampas Drive. Units responded and located Gonzalez’s body.

In Kenner, Gonzalez’s vehicle was wrecked, and the couple made off with another car, wrecked that during pursuit, and attempted to flee on foot.

The female was apprehended, and as of press time, had not been identified. Cheek was tracked to a house where he was apparently holding its resident hostage as police converged, as of press time.

Sheriff Wayne L. Jones went to Jefferson Parish Friday morning, where the woman was being questioned.

Gonzalez was married, with two children, according to Tregre.