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Posted by: kwflatbed

By Jeff Adelson
The New Orleans Times-Picayune

FOLSOM, La. — Pine Drive, a quiet residential street outside Folsom where wide lots and broad trees wind their way up a gently sloping hill, is a postcard example of the suburban dream. Tucked away off rural Louisiana 1077, residents said part of the area's appeal comes from its relative remoteness, a feature that has made crimes like burglary an unheard-of occurrence.
But the neighborhood's serenity was shattered Saturday night when a man covered in blood from wounds he apparently received while breaking into a house in the 83500 block of Pine faced off against dozens of St. Tammany Parish deputies. When he was found hiding in the house, the man stabbed a deputy before being shot to death by the officer.
Neighbors said the incident has made them question their safety in an area some thought was too remote to become a serious target for criminals.
"It's extremely scary," said Karen Dantin, who lives next door to the home.
And while Sheriff Jack Strain described the case Monday as a "straightforward situation" where Deputy Scott Winthers followed proper procedures, investigators are puzzled about the intruder's behavior.
As it is, investigators have few clues on some of the more puzzling aspects of the case: What brought a man on foot to a house in a remote residential area; why he apparently broke a window to get inside, injuring himself in the process; and why he chose to stay and attack a deputy rather than flee when he was discovered.
"What the deputies faced and the residents of that home encountered, it was a very bizarre situation," Strain said.

A bloody trail
Authorities have not yet identified the suspect, described as being in his early 20s. The man was carrying a lawful permanent resident card, better known as a "green card," but investigators do not know whether it was his, Strain said.
Members of a cleaning crew at the house said it appears the intruder entered by smashing a window in the front door and then crawling through the several-foot-wide hole in the broken glass. Dried blood was splattered around the door and a red trail led through the front hallway of the house Monday morning.
When the home's owners drove up to the house shortly before 7 p.m., the man came out and tried to open the car door, Strain said. The couple drove to a neighbor's house, leaving the man behind, he said.
"Obviously when this individual was trying to get into the homeowner's car he certainly meant to harm them," Strain said. "I give credit to those residents for having foresight and being keenly aware of their surroundings. When you see something that doesn't feel right, act on your instincts. Back away and call 9-1-1.
"This could have been a much deadlier situation. Innocents could have been harmed by this apparently deranged individual," Strain said.

Police swarm in
Neighbors said they were puzzled that the man stayed in the house even after he was spotted.
"He had plenty of time to leave, if leaving was what he wanted," said Brad Dantin, Karen Dantin's husband.
Deputies were called to the scene about 7 p.m. About 30 officers eventually arrived, surrounded the house and demanded that the man come out unarmed, Strain said.
"It looked like Mardi Gras with all the flashing lights," Brad Dantin said.
When the suspect did not emerge, Winthers and another deputy went into the house with a police dog, which quickly indicated that the man was behind a closet door, Strain said.
Winthers moved to open the door when the man lunged out, stabbing the deputy in the chest with a pair of pruning shears that were between 8 and 10 inches long, Strain said. The shears struck the deputy's bullet-proof vest and did not cause serious injury.
Winthers fired seven times, Strain said. Several shots hit the man, Strain said, but the sheriff referred questions about the wounds to officials at the St. Tammany Parish coroner's office. Those officials not be reached for comment Monday.
"I am incredibly proud of this deputy," Strain said. "To be called upon by one's oath to perform one's duty to this level is something that most of us go through our whole careers hoping we never have to do."

'You just don't feel safe'
The incident will be reviewed by both Sheriff's Office investigators and its Internal Affairs department, a standard procedure in any shooting involving a law enforcement officer, Strain said. After returning to work later this week, Winthers will be given a psychological evaluation and receive any counseling he needs, the sheriff said.
The Dantins, who have lived in the neighborhood for nine years, said they were shocked that a break-in would occur on a street that is far from major roads or city centers. The couple praised the professionalism of the deputies, noting that they even took care not to damage the home as they contemplated how to get inside.
As the couple prepared their two dogs for a walk Monday, they speculated that their pets' barking might have been the only thing that kept the man from choosing their home as his target.
"We'll probably have to keep them in the house more often now," Karen Dantin said. "You just don't feel safe after something like this."

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