On a Saturday afternoon in Sulphur, Louisiana, the life of 24-year-old David Reed III, a Black male, was tragically cut short. On November 18, 2017, in the 1300 block of South Post Oak Road, Reed was shot. First responders arrived to find him with gunshot wounds, and he was quickly transported to West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital. Despite their efforts, he was pronounced dead.
Witnesses at the scene identified the shooter as 17-year-old Blake Poullard of Lake Charles.
The Sulphur Police Department located and arrested Poullard later that same afternoon at an apartment complex in Sulphur. He was taken into custody without incident and initially charged with second-degree murder. The investigation, led by Detective Don Briscoe, also resulted in charges against two juveniles for accessory after the fact to second-degree murder, for their alleged roles in assisting Poullard after the shooting.
As the legal process began to unfold, the case took a significant turn. When the evidence was presented to a Calcasieu Parish grand jury, they returned a 'no bill,' declining to indict Blake Poullard on the charge of second-degree murder. This decision by the grand jury meant that the murder charge against the teenager would not proceed. Information regarding the final disposition of the charges against the two juveniles is not publicly available.
