Two young men from Shreveport were sentenced late on July 13 to federal prison for firearms violations, United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced. Chief United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. sentenced the two men.
Shelby Alvin Chapple, 30, of Shreveport, was sentenced to 84 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
On October 18, 2020, a Shreveport Police officer patrolling Hollywood Avenue shortly after midnight attempted to stop a car after observing it swerve across the center dividing line multiple times. When the officer activated his cruiser’s overhead lights and siren, the car refused to pull over and, instead, drove through several red lights at high speed. The car eventually turned down a residential street and shut off its running lights to avoid detection.
During the ensuing police pursuit, the car slowed to a near stop when the driver, later identified as Chapple, jumped from the driver’s seat with the car still in drive and sprinted in between several homes while carrying a handgun loaded with a high-capacity magazine. A police K-9 team eventually located Chapple who was hiding in a wooded area behind the homes. Police found the loaded handgun on the ground where Chapple had discarded it. After being advised of his Miranda rights, Chapple admitted to police that he possessed that gun and threw it before his arrest. At the time of this incident, Chapple was on parole for a prior felony weapons offense.
This case was investigated by the ATF and Shreveport Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Shannon.
The second defendant sentenced was Decoby J. Office, 20, of Shreveport, who received a 24-month prison sentence, followed by 2 years of supervised release.
In this case, a Shreveport Police Department officer tried to stop a car being driven by Office on June 3, 2021. The car fled and during the ensuing pursuit, Office threw a Glock 9mm handgun from the vehicle. Officers were able to recover the weapon and eventually the pursuit ended, and Office was arrested. A Shreveport Police Department officer searched the car and discovered a loaded magazine below the driver’s seat, where Office had been seated.
Office possessed the firearm and ammunition knowing that he was prohibited from doing so. His prior felony conviction is for illegal use of a weapon in 2021 in Caddo Parish, Louisiana.
This case was investigated by the ATF and Shreveport Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Leon H. Whitten.