DENHAM SPRINGS, La. (BRPROUD) – The Denham Springs Police Department announced Friday that Cpl. Shawn Kelly, the officer sent to the hospital in critical condition after a May shooting, has died.
Kelly was shot while responding to a disturbance near a shopping center along South Range Avenue near I-12 at 6 p.m. on May 21. He remained in critical condition since the shooting.
“On May 11th, 2023 evil and tragedy struck our community, and because of it, we will forever be changed. Cpl. Shawn Kelly was a great public servant, a great father, grandfather, husband, and just a great human being. He was one of the finest men I’ve ever known,” Denham Springs Police Chief Rodney Walker said in an update on the department’s Facebook page.
“The Denham Springs and Livingston Parish communities have truly lost one of its finest. On behalf of Cpl. Kelly’s family and his DSPD family, we thank you for your continued love, support and prayers during this difficult and tragic time,” Walker continued.
Police are asking the public to respect the privacy of Kelly’s family. Funeral arrangement information will be provided at a later time.
The suspect, Justin Roberts, 30, was taken to the hospital and later died from injuries sustained when a deputy shot him.