Pineville police claims ‘ambushed’ officer shot himself, altered facts

PINEVILLE, La. (KALB / PPD) - The Pineville Police Department says the officer who was allegedly ambushed on Sunday night actually shot himself.

PPD says the officer, identified as John Goulart Jr., shot himself, concealed his weapon, and altered the facts.

Goulart Jr. has been charged with one count of criminal mischief for filing the false police report and one count of malfeasance in office for creating that falsehood while wearing a Pineville police uniform. He has been booked into the Rapides Parish Detention Center and his bond will be set by a Rapides Parish District Judge. He has also been placed on administrative leave.

PPD says Goulart Jr. originally claimed he was shot once in the leg and a second shot hit the rear door of his police unit while he was at a shopping center at the corner of Military Highway and Donahue Ferry Road.

Don Weatherford, Pineville’s Police Chief, said about the investigation, “We had no reason originally to question what he was telling us was accurate. As it progressed, that evidence gives you some pretty clear direction and it led us to re interviewing officer Goulart Jr. and he admitted at that point that he had not been truthful with us during the investigation."

Rapides Parish District Attorney Phillip Terrell helped PPD in determining the proper charges for the officer.

The investigation into the original ambush report has been closed, but the investigation will now go into the next phase of the officer’s actions.

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