Gonzales standoff ends in suicide

• By JOHN A. COLVIN
• Advocate River parishes bureau
• Published: Jul 24, 2008 - UPDATED: 7:50 p.m.

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7:50 p.m.

GONZALES — A man identified as Bobby Dickerson, 49, apparently took his own life tonight, ending a standoff with police that stretched for seven hours after he shot and killed his estranged wife.

Dickerson reportedly fatally wounded wife with rifle fire about noon outside his Gonzales residence at South LeBlanc and Neal streets, then retreated inside the residence and resisted attempts to place him under arrest.

Gonzales Police Chief Bill Landry said that when negotiations with Dickerson became unfruitful about 6:30 p.m., police and Ascension sheriff’s deputies fired nonflammable tear gas rounds into the residence.

Shortly thereafter, with no activity detected inside, authorities entered the residence to find Dickerson dead of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound, the police chief said.

Consuelo Dickerson, 32, was shot to death when she went to the residence at 1719 S. LeBlanc Ave., to collect some belongings, said June Mackie, of Sorrento, who identified herself as Dickerson’s aunt.

Landry said Dickerson had been armed with a rifle.

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4:30 p.m.

GONZALES — Some four hours after a man reportedly shot and killed his estranged wife about noon outside a Gonzales residence and then retreated inside, a Louisiana State Police special weapons and tactics team using an armored vehicle took up positions near the location at South LeBlanc and Neal streets.

The SWAT team members joined a heavy contingent of well-armed officers from the Gonzales Police Department and the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office.

A woman allegedly shot by her husband outside the house is dead, one of victim’s relatives said at the scene.

The victim, Consuelo Dickerson, 32, went to the residence at 1719 S. LeBlanc Ave., about noon today to collect some belongings, said June Mackie of Sorrento, who identified herself as Dickerson’s aunt.

Law enforcement authorities remained in a standoff with the man, armed with a rifle. Gonzales Police Chief Bill Landry said that about 1:30 pm., officers were negotiating with an unidentified man suspected in the shooting, but did not confirm that the victim had died.