Guns No One's Safe

Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The possibility of any one of us being a victim of a criminal act is a major concern for all of us. We have to remain vigilant and always be aware of where we may be at all times because a criminal act can occur anywhere. According to a recent police report, that appeared just to have happened to two unidentified victims. On August 13, 2023, officers of the Monroe Police Dept. responded to a disturbance call. Officers arrived on Selman Drive where they confronted a witness who told them that they allegedly saw 18-year-old Jaquez Heckard point a silver handgun at two individuals. The witness advised officers that Heckard was allegedly accompanied by an unknown Black juvenile. The witnesses also allegedly advised officers that they did see what they told them, but they were unable to hear the threats from the suspects. When officers spoke to the victims, they were advised that Heckard allegedly held them at gunpoint and threatened to shoot them and a residence located on Selman Drive. The victims also said that the juvenile allegedly said that he would shoot them at the residence on Selman Drive. But before an arrest could be made, officers said that the suspects fled. The report indicated that the suspects were apprehended in about 22 minutes. The firearm that was allegedly used was found later by officers nearby and it was discovered to have been stolen from West Monroe LA. Both suspects were arrested with the juvenile being transported to Green Oaks Detention Facility. Heckard was taken to Ouachita Correctional Center(OCC) and was booked on the following charges. 1. Possession of, or Dealing in Firearms with an Obliterated Number or Mark. 2. Resisting an Officer. 3. Aggravated Assault with a Firearm. 4 Illegal Possession of a Stolen Firearm. 5. Encouraging or Contributing to Child Delinquency, Dependency, or Neglect. There are three sides to every story. This was one side of this story. The Monroe Dispatch welcomes another or the other side of this story.