LA Police Officer Charged with Negligent Homicide in Pursuit Crash that Killed Teens

An Addis, LA, police officer is facing criminal charges after a collision that killed two teenage girls during a high-speed chase of a suspect Saturday, according to District Attorney Tony Clayton.

David Cauthron, 42, was arrested and booked Sunday night on two counts of negligent homicide and one count of negligent injuring. Cauthron’s patrol unit struck another vehicle Saturday killing two teen girls, 16 and 17, and injuring a third teen. Investigators reviewed dash camera video and other footage from the crash before deciding to arrest Cauthron.

Witnesses reported Cauthron ran a red light and that the light had been red for about 20 seconds when his police unit reached the intersection.

"I just can't put my arms around why (the officer) was driving at that rate of speed in pursuit of this vehicle. This officer is facing some serious issues,” Clayton tells WBZR .

The pursuit began in Baton Rouge, where officers suspected a man broke into a family member’s home and then took a vehicle. Arrest documents reveal that officers later tried to pull the suspect over during a traffic stop in Baton Rouge. The documents said that when the suspect refused to stop, the chase began.