Lucien Rolland

Deadly force

Lucien Rolland was hit by 18 bullets and killed when he allegedly emerged armed from his pickup truck after a chase on I-10. A St. Tammany deputy had reportedly attempted to stop a white GMC Sierra traveling at a very low speed in the center lane of Pontchartrain Drive near Southside Cafe at around 2:30 a.m. The deputy turned on his lights, which apparently prompted Rolland, the driver, to accelerate toward the US 11 bridge over Lake Pontchartrain. A male passenger reportedly jumped out and ran away before the truck sped off, and later told investigators that he demanded to be let out as Rolland fired a gun at deputies. The chase entered Orleans Parish on the south side of the lake before the pickup looped onto I-10 and headed back toward the north shore with Rolland allegedly continuing to shoot at deputies. State troopers joined the chase as Rolland led officers back across the lake on I-10, where Slidell Police joined in the chase. Troopers deployed a stop strip on the highway near the Old Spanish Trail exit, puncturing one of the Sierra's tires. The pickup eventually came to a stop on the Gause Boulevard overpass. Rolland allegedly exited the truck holding a handgun and "challenged" the officers who "engaged the individual and neutralized the threat," Sheriff Jack Strain said. Officers from all three agencies fired shots, and Rolland died at the scene shortly after 3 a.m. St. Tammany Parish Coroner Dr. Charles Preston said Rolland suffered wounds to his chest, abdomen, pelvis and extremities. The extent of Rolland's internal injuries made it impossible to determine which shot was fatal, Preston said.