Trader Joe’s murder suspect released from prison after posting bail
BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - Jace Boyd, the man accused of shooting and killing Danny Buckley in a Trader Joe’s parking lot, has posted bail and was released from prison, records show.
Buckley, 61, was shot and killed after reportedly asking two women in the parking lot for money. Boyd, 24, is facing charges of second-degree murder and illegal use of a weapon. Bail was set at $300,000.
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According to the arrest report, officers were sent out to the parking lot after a shooting was reported. When they arrived, they found Buckley on the ground suffering from a single gunshot wound to the left side of his abdomen. Officers spoke to Boyd on the scene, who reportedly told them he’d shot Buckley after a confrontation. The report claims Boyd was taken into custody at this time.
The arrest report states Buckley approached Boyd while he was sitting in his car to ask him for money. Boyd and Buckley then had a verbal argument through the open window of the car, the report states. Buckley then reportedly walked away from Boyd’s car and approached a young woman who was also in the parking lot.
The report goes on to say Boyd yelled at Buckley to leave the women alone because he was scaring them.
Buckley then reportedly began to approach Boyd, who then armed himself with a handgun from his car. Police say Boyd pointed the weapon at Buckley and tried to shoot him, but the weapon misfired. Boyd then reportedly put another bullet in the chamber and fired again, striking Buckley in the abdomen.
Police say Buckley was unarmed and out of arm’s reach when he was shot. Buckley was taken to a local hospital, where he later died.
One of the women involved in the incident says she and her roommate were leaving the store when they were approached by Buckley, who was reportedly asking for money on the night of Saturday, Aug. 22.
The woman says he did “get in her space”, but that she did not feel threatened by him.
“Whenever I gave my statement, I made sure to tell them that I never felt threatened as a young woman. I’m 21, white female, so that’s why we were so confused that why this man just felt that this was the necessary action to take. We couldn’t really believe it,” said the woman, who wished to be identified only as Kaylee.
The woman goes on to say after she got in her car, she heard a man talking to Buckley, telling him to leave the two women alone. As the woman’s roommate got into the car, she says they heard a loud popping sound and moments later saw Buckley on the ground.
East Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome issued the following statement Tuesday, Aug. 25 about the incident:
“I am very concerned about the incident that occurred this past weekend outside of a local business, and I am still gathering information from the public and law enforcement. The situation is still under investigation and I have spoken with Chief Murphy Paul and asked him to conduct a fair and transparent review of what happened. I appreciate the citizens who have come forward with information thus far, and welcome any other information citizens might have. Every citizen deserves to be treated justly, and I promise to the residents of East Baton Rouge Parish that this investigation will be conducted fairly.”
The East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner’s Office released the cause of death for Buckley Tuesday. Officials with the coroner’s office say Buckley died from a gunshot wound to the abdomen.
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