In the fading light of a Friday evening in Opelousas, Louisiana, on January 3, 2014, the life of 32-year-old Eric Harrison was tragically cut short. Harrison, a male resident of Opelousas, was found lying on Planters Street, the victim of a fatal shooting. The incident, which shattered the calm of the neighborhood, was not a random act of violence but rather the culmination of a simmering and ongoing dispute.
Investigators quickly identified a suspect, 23-year-old Joshua Goodley, also of
Opelousas. According to reports, the conflict between the two men escalated on that fateful evening. Goodley allegedly confronted Harrison, asserting that he was not welcome in the area. The verbal altercation took a deadly turn when Harrison reportedly reached for his waistband. In response, Goodley drew a firearm and shot Harrison multiple times. While the weapon used by Goodley was not immediately recovered, authorities did find a gun in the pocket of Harrison's jacket.
In the days that followed the shooting, the Opelousas Police Department worked swiftly to bring a resolution to the case. Joshua Goodley was apprehended and subsequently charged with second-degree murder in connection with Eric Harrison's death. The arrest brought a sense of closure to a community shaken by the violence, as law enforcement continued their investigation into the circumstances that led to the fatal encounter on Planters Street. Following the incident, Opelousas police also made several other arrests in the area on unrelated charges in an effort to quell any potential for retaliatory actions and to ensure the safety of the community. There are no further online sources available detailing the outcome of the trial or any conviction of the suspect.
