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13-year-old burglary suspect shoots deputy investigating incident, Louisiana cops say

St. Tammany Parish sheriff’s deputy Kennethy Doby was shot and injured by a 13-year-old burglary suspect on May 25, authorities said.
St. Tammany Parish sheriff’s deputy Kennethy Doby was shot and injured by a 13-year-old burglary suspect on May 25, authorities said. St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office

A Louisiana deputy is recovering after he was shot by a teen burglary suspect while patrolling in Waldheim early Wednesday, May 25, according to the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office.

Deputy Kenneth Doby was investigating a business burglary in the area of Highway 21 and Highway 1083 around 3 a.m. when someone shot him, authorities wrote in a news release. The accused shooter is 13 years old and could face criminal charges, Sheriff Randy Smith told multiple news outlets.

Doby was struck once “beneath the back of his bullet-proof vest” and, with help from his partner, managed to handcuff the teen before emergency medical crews arrived, Smith told WVUE.

The deputy was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and is expected to recover.

“It looks like he’s going to be OK,” Smith told Nola.com of the four-year department veteran. “He’s going to stay in the hospital a day or two. He’s young and tough.”

The 13-year-old was taken in for questioning on Wednesday, authorities said. Charges related to the burglary and the shooting are pending.

Waldheim is about 50 miles north of downtown New Orleans.

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This story was originally published May 25, 2022 at 7:10 AM with the headline "13-year-old burglary suspect shoots deputy investigating incident, Louisiana cops say."

Tanasia Kenney
Sun Herald
Tanasia is a service journalism reporter at the Charlotte Observer | CharlotteFive, working remotely from Atlanta, Georgia. She covers restaurant openings/closings in Charlotte and statewide explainers for the NC Service Journalism team. She’s been with McClatchy since 2020.
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