Two men charged in crash that kills Jeanerette policeman

Two Iberia Parish men have been charged in connection with a Tuesday crash in St. Mary Parish that left a Jeanerette police officer dead, according to a state police news release.
On Tuesday night, Louisiana State Police Troop I began investigating a motor vehicle crash on Saint Peter Road south of La. 182 in St. Mary Parish.
The crash resulted in the death of Jeanerette Police Officer Juandre Gilliam and the arrest of two Iberia Parish men, police said.
According to investigating troopers, shortly before 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, Gilliam attempted to make a traffic stop on a black Chevrolet Colorado in the city limits of Jeanerette. The Chevrolet Colorado failed to stop and began to elude Gilliam. During the pursuit, troopers were able to determine the Chevrolet truck and Gilliam’s fully marked Ford Crown Victoria struck each other, police said.
For reasons still under investigation, Gilliam lost control of his police car as the pursuit continued and ran off the left side of the roadway and struck a cement culvert, police said. Gilliam, who was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected from the vehicle as it began to overturn, police said.
After Gilliam’s police unit overturned, the suspects continued to flee, police said. As a result of the crash, Gilliam, 22, received critical injuries and was transported to Iberia General Medical Center where he was pronounced dead, police said.
Louisiana State Police Troop I, Louisiana State Police Region II Detectives, Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office, Jeanerette Marshall’s Office, and the Jeanerette Police Department began an active search for the suspect vehicle and its occupants.
The suspect vehicle was eventually located in a field near the crash scene. The vehicle was left abandoned and investigators began to comb the area and questioned the owner of the vehicle, Clint A. Rogers, 57, of Jeanerette. Iberia Parish deputies and Jeanerette marshals also identified a 16-year-old juvenile and Antre T. Joseph, 21, of New Iberia as being involved in the incident. All three were brought to the Iberia Parish Patrol Center and questioned by investigators.
As a result of the investigation, Joseph was charged with manslaughter and aggravated flight from an officer.
Rogers was charged with criminal mischief. Both were booked into the Iberia Parish jail.
Toxicology samples were taken from Joseph and sent to the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab for analysis.
The crash remains under investigation, police said.
Gilliam served with the Jeanerette Police Department for the last two years and graduated from the Police Academy in March.