Former Jefferson Parish deputy sentenced in 2022 manslaughter case

MARRERO, La. (WGNO) — The former Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office deputy officially charged in the 2022 fatal shooting of an unarmed man has been sentenced.

On February 16, 2022, Daniel Vallée, 34, was shot and killed while sitting in his truck in a Marrero neighborhood.

That day, deputies were called to respond to a noise complaint in the 500 block of Wilson Street, where they found Vallée sitting in a car outside a known drug house.

Deputies said as Vallee approached, he locked the doors, started the engine and refused to cooperate for about 15 minutes before dropping his hands and honking the horn. That's when deputies started shooting.

“Their perception was that their lives were in danger at that time. Unfortunately, the use of force in this situation was not justified,” Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joe Lopinto said in 2022.

The former deputies, Isaac Hughes and Jonathan Louis, were fired and arrested for manslaughter.

An investigation and review of body camera footage determined that the two deputies shot an “unarmed male.”

During the trial in May, Louis and Hughes admitted they did not see a gun during the incident. Hughs told the court he pulled out his gun when Vallee started his truck and fired because he thought the truck was coming toward him.

Louis said he fired because he didn't know who was shooting.

During the proceedings, the jury heard from witnesses, including other deputies at the scene. A deputy recounted the incident and said he never pulled his gun.

An autopsy revealed that Vallée had been shot eight times.

Louis was found not guilty of the incident, but on June 11, Hughes was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to three years' probation after a five-year sentence was suspended.

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