Caddo District Attorney off the hook in acquiring automatic rifles
By: Nancy Cook
Updated: July 27, 2012
Caddo District Attorney Charles Scott today released a letter from Stephen B. Street Jr., Louisiana's Inspector General, exonerating his office of any violations of law in regard to his office acquiring eight fully automatic M-16 rifles.
The rifles were obtained by the Caddo Parish District Attorney's Office in February from weapons came from a federal program that allows use of surplus items from the Department of Defense by local law enforcement agencies.
The paperwork for the transfer of the weapons was filled out by ADA Lea Hall and Hugo Holland Jr. who admitted there were "inaccuracies" in that paperwork, but denied any "material misrepresentations.
Don Ashley, then an investigator for the Caddo D.A.'s office, informed Scott the weapons were fully automatic, and then went to Caddo Parish Sheriff Steve Prator with the information. Scott fired Ashley, who now has filed suit against Scott for damages resulting from his being fired.
Regardless, in March, Scott transferred the rifles to the Webster Parish Sheriff's office.
