In the early hours of January 7, 1993, a dedicated mother of six and a 14-year veteran of the Baton Rouge Police Department, Corporal Betty Dunn Smothers, was tragically killed. The 36-year-old female officer was off-duty from her primary role and working a second job as a security guard to provide for her family. Her life was cut short in a violent ambush, a stark reminder of the dangers faced by those who protect and serve.
While in her marked patrol car, she was escorting a grocery store manager to make a night deposit at a bank on Jefferson Highway.
As Corporal Smothers and the manager sat in the vehicle, three individuals approached and opened fire without warning. The sudden onslaught of gunfire fatally wounded Corporal Smothers and seriously injured the store manager. In the aftermath of the brutal attack, all three suspects were apprehended by law enforcement. The investigation revealed a planned robbery that turned into a homicide. The suspects were identified as Kevan Brumfield, Henri Broadway, and West Paul.
The subsequent legal proceedings brought some measure of justice for the killing of Corporal Smothers. West Paul, the getaway driver, received a 25-year prison sentence for his role in the crime. Kevan Brumfield and Henri Broadway, the two men who opened fire on Corporal Smothers and the store manager, were both convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. However, the legal journey for these two individuals did not end there.
In 2016, Kevan Brumfield's death sentence was overturned, and he was resentenced to life in prison. This decision was based on a court's determination that he was intellectually disabled, making him ineligible for the death penalty under a 2002 U.S. Supreme Court ruling. Henri Broadway, the other shooter, remained on death row. In 2023, his request for clemency was denied, leaving him to continue serving his sentence. The case left a lasting impact on the Baton Rouge community and on the family of Betty Dunn Smothers, including her son, future NFL running back Warrick Dunn, who was just 18 at the time of his mother's death.
