According to the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office, the VPSO attempted to locate and affect a felony arrest warrant for 42-year-old John Micah Leblanc for:

Failure to appear for probation revocation hearing for possession of cocaine, failure to appear for trial for possession of drug paraphernalia, failure to appear for arraignment for possession of marijuana and possession of drug

paraphernalia and a probation and parole warrant.

When the Vermilion Parish deputies approached Leblanc, he evaded arrest by entering a residence located on Thomas Street in Abbeville at which time he barricaded himself to avoid arrest.

The Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office Special Response Team was deployed to the home where negotiations were started for a peaceful surrender.

With the assistance of Abbeville Police Department, Lafayette Police Department, and the Louisiana State Police, Leblanc was ultimately taken into custody in the early morning hours on Friday, without incident.

“It’s always our goal that everyone is safe at the conclusion of an incident such as this. Law Enforcement as well as the suspect’s safety are our main priority,” said Eddie Langlinais, VPSO’s Public Information Officer.

Sheriff Mike Couvillon thanked all participating agencies who assisted in this peaceful resolution.

“Again, this is a perfect example of how we can achieve a safe outcome when the citizens of Vermilion Parish and law enforcement work together,” Couvillon said.