Savannah Butler, a 42-year-old Opelousas police officer, turned herself in to the St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Office on January 1, 2024. She surrendered at the parish jail after being charged with serious charges related to the shooting of a police officer in Louisiana. President and his wife.
Savannah Butler faces two counts of negligent injury, which are misdemeanors, along with more serious charges of obstruction of justice and unlawful discharge of a firearm, both of which are classified as felonies. These allegations stem from the unfortunate incident in which a Louisiana police chief and his wife were shot.
The police chief admitted that the shooting occurred over cases of “marital infidelity” just before the Christmas holiday. The discovery of this information led to arrest warrants being issued for Butler.
She was quick to surrender and posted a $22,000 bond.
Arrest warrants have been issued for Savannah Butler in the shooting death of the Opelousas Police Chief and his wife
Arrest warrants have been issued for Savannah Butler, who is allegedly responsible for the wounding of Opelousas Police Chief Greg “Twin” LeBlanc and his wife, Capt. Crystal LeBlanc, of the St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Office. According to the St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Office, the arrest warrants are related to a domestic case that occurred on December 22, 2023.
The incident led to the accidental shooting of the police chief and his wife, which prompted legal action to be taken against the accused in the case.
Deputies confirmed that Crystal LeBlanc visited Butler's home that evening to speak with her husband, who was present there. When the police chief went out to talk to his wife, an argument broke out between them.
According to the investigation, the LeBlancs were shot at Butler's home on Garnet Drive, located just outside the Opelousas city limits. On the night of December 22, Crystal LeBlanc went to Garnet Drive to contact her husband, who was inside Butler's home. I went and knocked on the residence door.
President LeBlanc came outside, and a heated argument broke out between the couple. The situation took a turn for the worse when Butler, armed with a handgun, entered through the doorway. According to the Sheriff's Office, Chief LeBlanc attempted to grab the weapon, which led to a struggle that unfortunately ended with him being shot in the hand. Tragically, the bullet passed through his hand and unintentionally struck his wife, Crystal, in the arm.
After the shooting, both Chief LeBlanc and Crystal LeBlanc sought medical attention and admitted themselves to nearby hospitals for treatment.
As authorities investigated further, they determined that Savannah Butler attempted to hide evidence by cleaning up the scene before reporting it to the Sheriff's Office. This led to an obstruction of justice charge against her. Meanwhile, the LeBlancs were released, having received initial treatment, but needed further medical care.
The sheriff's office reported:
“Investigators obtained statements from medical personnel, Opelousas police officers, and all parties involved, and found that the findings warranted charges against Butler.”
Authorities also found sufficient cause to issue a trespassing summons to Captain Crystal LeBlanc for entering Butler's property.
Savannah Butler and Captain LeBlanc have been placed on administrative leave amid the investigation
Both Captain LeBlanc and Officer Butler have been placed on administrative leave by their agencies as the investigation unfolds. LeBlanc, although he did not submit his resignation, expressed his commitment to conduct an internal review and cooperate faithfully in all investigations and legal proceedings related to the incident.
Opelousas Police Chief Greg LeBlanc addressed the situation publicly. He said:
“The circumstances that led to this unfortunate incident are very personal, and I want to be honest. My actions have caused pain and distress, not only to my family, but to our community as well.
As of now, Opelousas Police Chief Greg LeBlanc has no charges pending against him. The investigation is ongoing and Savannah Butler is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday to be charged.
