BATON ROUGE, LA – A Baton Rouge Police Department officer was taken into custody on Halloween following her alleged involvement in a high-speed collision that resulted in the tragic death of another motorist. The incident occurred on October 20, around 10:30 p.m., as disclosed by the police department in a social media statement.
Officer Sharmaine Buckley, 28, was reportedly driving a marked patrol car when she purportedly ran a red light at nearly 80 miles per hour, colliding with a black Chevrolet Impala. The impact claimed the life of the Impala’s driver, identified as 38-year-old Caleb James Chappetta, who tragically passed away at the scene. The collision took place during a response to reports of officers being shot at, triggering a chain reaction involving six additional vehicles.
Buckley faced immediate consequences as she was booked into a prison on charges of negligent homicide, two counts of negligent injuring, and reckless operation of a vehicle and emergency vehicles—all stemming from the Halloween incident. Jail records indicate that she was released on bond the same day, with a bail set at $1.6 million.
In the aftermath of the incident, the Baton Rouge Police Department has placed Buckley on administrative leave. She has served on the force for a period of two years.
Caleb James Chappetta’s tragic demise reverberated beyond the accident scene. The Louisiana Association of the Deaf, recognizing Chappetta’s Deaf identity, issued a statement expressing deep sorrow over his untimely passing, deeming it both tragic and avoidable. The organization extended its heartfelt sympathies to Chappetta’s family and praised the Baton Rouge Police Department for its swift actions in pursuing accountability for the unfortunate incident.