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RELATED: FAA releases cause of BRPD chopper crash
The helicopter belongs to the Baton Rouge Police Department, officials added.
“Today is a very emotional day for the men and women of the Baton Rouge Police Department,” said Chief Murphy Paul. “Right now, we’re asking the community to lift up our officers in prayer.”
Late Monday afternoon the West Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office released the following timeline:
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“On Sunday, March 26, 2023, at approximately 2:27 a.m. Baton Rouge Police Department was in pursuit of a 2014 Ford Mustang that had crossed into West Baton Rouge Parish on I-10. The driver later identified as Deandre Dwayne Bessye exited I-10 onto LA 415 northbound. Bessye continued fleeing Baton Rouge P.D. with reported speeds at or near 135 MPH. At approximately 2:35 A.M. the pursuit was terminated near the intersection of U.S. Hwy. 190 and Bueche Road by Baton Rouge P.D.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the helicopter was a Robinson R-44 helicopter and went down around 3 a.m. The wreckage was located in a sugarcane field along North Winterville Road off US 190 near Port Allen.
The coroner’s office was called to the scene around 11 a.m.
Sources said the helicopter crew had been sent to assist with a pursuit around 2 a.m. Sunday but never returned.
It appears no one was aware that the chopper had gone down for many hours. A search was eventually launched and the wreckage was found hours later.
West Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office was not in pursuit of this vehicle but was responding to the area at the time the pursuit was terminated by Baton Rouge P.D.
At approximately 3:14 a.m. West Baton Rouge S.O. was dispatched to a residence on Poydras Bayou Drive in reference to a reported abandoned vehicle. The vehicle was later confirmed to be the 2014 Ford Mustang that had fled BRPD earlier that night. The driver Deandre Dwayne Bessye contacted the property owner and asked if he could get a ride to a nearby gas station because his car ran out of gas. After getting dropped off by the property owner, Bessye phoned a friend in Baton Rouge who picked him up and brought him to his residence in Baton Rouge.
At approximately 10:48 a.m., West Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office received a call from one of the officer’s family members who requested us to respond to a rural area between North Winterville Road and Bueche Road. Upon searching this area, deputies located a Baton Rouge Police Department Helicopter that had crashed. Unfortunately, both officers sustain fatal injuries. Soon after discovering the crash, Baton Rouge Police Department was notified as well as Baton Rouge Metro Airport Traffic Control.”
Airport officials said most flight missions are done at a low altitude. The airport confirmed that most of the time, flights will check in with the air traffic control tower at take-off and then return at a time when the tower is closed. As a result, the airport said the BRPD helicopter potentially had no check-ins with the air traffic control tower.
