Man sentenced to almost 2 centuries in prison for crime spree

Taniel Cole
Published: May. 25, 2022 at 7:39 PM CDT

SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) - According to the Caddo Parish District Attorney, a man found guilty of a crime spree that occurred in August of 2021 has been sentenced to almost 200 years in prison.

Taniel Cole, 42, of Farmerville, was found guilty on April 20 of attempted manslaughter, four counts of second-degree kidnapping, and armed robbery.

Breakdown of Sentencing:
  • 10 years at hard labor for attempted manslaughter
  • 20 years at hard labor for three of four second-degree kidnapping convictions (serve at least two years without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence)
  • 40 years for the final second-degree kidnapping conviction (serve at least two years without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence)
  • 75 years for armed robbery (served without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence)

The sentences will be served consecutively, with the minimum of 83 years.

The spree began at an area hospital, where Cole and his girlfriend had an argument. His girlfriend’s daughter was a patient at the hospital and wished to see her biological father. When Cole left the building, the girlfriend asked hospital staff to not let him see her daughter.

When Cole returned later, he became enraged. He pulled out a gun and pointed it at three nurses speaking to him. He forced them to take him to the girl’s room and ordered them to the ground while he continued arguing with his girlfriend. A person in a nearby room heard the argument and informed the house supervisor who then went to the room. Cole pointed a gun at the supervisor, who ran to alert security. Cole fired two shots at her and also shot the person in the nearby room when he attempted to intervene.

Cole fled the hospital, found a woman in the parking lot across from the KSLA News 12 building, and forced her to drive him to Farmerville. He took money and personal property from her, threatening her safety if she told anyone what he did. He then went to a car lot in Minden and stole a test-drive vehicle. He was apprehended in Mississippi five days later.

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