On a summer evening in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, 22-year-old Deputy Sheriff Joshua Everett Norris responded to a domestic disturbance call that would tragically be his last. It was Thursday, July 5, 2007, when Deputy Norris, a dedicated officer with one year of service, arrived at a residence on Southwood Drive in Gretna. As he neared the house, he was met with immediate gunfire, a single shot striking him in his upper right chest.
Despite wearing a bullet-resistant vest, the bullet found a vulnerable spot under his arm.
Fellow officers, arriving just moments after the shooting, bravely shielded their fallen colleague with their vehicles to protect him from any further harm. They were able to retrieve Deputy Norris and rush him to Ochsner Medical Center West Bank, but his injuries proved to be fatal. The young deputy, who was engaged to be married and had two brothers also serving as deputies with the same sheriff's office, succumbed to his wounds.
The ensuing investigation revealed the identity of the shooter, who was later discovered with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. He was transported to University Hospital in critical condition. The suspect remained alive for a week before he, too, died from his injury. The incident was ultimately classified as an ambush, with the offender taking his own life. Deputy Norris's death was a profound loss to his family, his fiancée, and the law enforcement community he had so proudly served.
