BRPD identifies two officers shot Sunday; fallen officer honored with procession Tuesday

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - One of two Baton Rouge police officers involved in a shooting Sunday, April 26 has died.

BRPD Chief Murphy Paul has released the name of the deceased officer Lt. Glenn Dale Hutto, Jr. had been on the force for 21 years. The Baton Rouge Police Department posthumously promoted Hutto to the rank of lieutenant after the shooting.

The other officer, Cpl. Derrick Maglone, a seven-year veteran of the force, is recovering from his injuries at Our Lady of the Lake Medical Center.

BRPD and other area police and fire departments held a funeral procession for Lt. Hutto Tuesday, April 28. The funeral procession traveled from the coroner’s office on Harding Boulevard to Rabenhorst Funeral Home on Government Street.

The suspect, Ronnie Kato, 36, is in custody. Per court records, Kato had his first appearance Monday morning before Judge Richard Anderson and the court ordered he be held without bond.

District Attorney Hillar Moore announced Monday, April 27 his office will be seeking the death penalty in the case against Kato.

“My office rarely seeks the death penalty. We do so only in the most serious of cases. The facts as alleged in the affidavits and from information that I have learned are egregious.,” Moore said. "I obviously have not had the opportunity to speak with the victims’ families and do not know their feelings but hope to do so when it is appropriate. As for me and my office, based on what I know now, I believe that pursuing this matter as a death penalty case is what justice would demand. "

Chief Paul says the officers were called to the 1800 block of Pamela Drive around 9:30 a.m. Sunday, April 26.

Kato is accused of killing Curtis Richardson, 58, at that location earlier in the day. A source familiar with the case says Kato and Richardson are connected through one of Richardson’s relatives.

Kato fled the scene before officers could arrive, officials say.

The two officers received a tip Kato was hiding at a home in the 3150 block of Conrad Street, in the area of Winbourne Avenue and North Foster.

While they were checking the scene just after 12:30 p.m., Kato fired upon them.

He barricaded himself in the home as more officers surrounded the scene. Around 4 p.m., an eruption of gunfire and screams rang out from near the house. It was followed by three or four more gunshots.

Kato was later taken into custody without incident after a four-hour standoff, the police chief says.

He will be charged with first-degree-murder for Richardson’s death. Charges for shooting the officers are still pending.

About 40 officers gathered on the second floor of the hospital to pray for the wounded officers, The Advocate newspaper reported. Those comrades stood watch as the deceased officer was taken from the hospital.

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