(KLFY)-- A KLFY News 10 investigation into the man killed in an officer-involved shooting this week in Lafayette Parish leads to more questions than answers. News 10 has been digging through court and parole hearing records, tracking down the 51-year-old Tony Pollard's movements since being paroled and released from state prison after 20 years.
News 10 found several issues. Pollard was killed Wednesday by deputies with the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office, as deputies were trying to arrest him for several violent crimes he allegedly committed last week.
News 10 found, however, that Pollard had violated his parole twice before the attempted arrest. After two arrests on parole, why wasn't he sent back to state prison?
Pollard's criminal record began in 1988 when he was 17. Between then and 2002, Pollard was arrested eight times in Lafayette Parish for charges like theft and simple burglary.
In 2003, Pollard was convicted in another parish of numerous charges, including armed robbery. He received a 48-year sentence. He served most of that time in Angola and then Raymond Laborde Correctional Center until he was up for parole in February of 2022.
News 10 watched the parole hearing.
"Was drug one of the reasons for all these burglaries and everything?" a member of the parole board asked Pollard.
"No sir, not for this last charge it wasn't," Pollard answered. "Last charge, I was financially in a bind. I had to take care of my family. I had no other way but to take the wrong choice, and I did."
Another board member later asks which drug was his choice of drug, and Pollard says cocaine.
The parole board decided to parole Pollard after serving just 20 years of his 48-year sentence on the condition he finishes a drug abuse program.
"I'm going to vote to grant that he conditionally that he goes to the 'Living in Balance' one and two class before being released. He's set up as a low risk. He's got some good programs along the way and good family support," the parole board member said.
Just months after Pollard is paroled and released from a state prison, he's arrested in 2022 in Lafayette Parish for theft less than $1,000. A year later in 2023, he's arrested again for second-degree battery, though pleads guilty to an amended charge of disturbing the peace.
He served less than a month in the Lafayette Parish jail both times.
Pollard doesn't come up on law enforcement's radar again until the Fourth of July in 2024. A Carencro man says Pollard broke into his home, held him at gunpoint and robbed him.
According to the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office, Pollard aso committed several other violent crimes in the days after. This is what led to the warrant for his arrest Wednesday.
LPSO deputies found him on Wagon Trail Road. According to LPSO, deputies responded with deadly force after Pollard allegedly threatened them.
So why wasn't Pollard sent back to a state prison after being arrested twice while on parole? Why wasn't his parole revoked? Were extra precautions put in place to protect the public?
News 10 is still waiting for answers.
During this investigation, News 10 also received information Pollard may have been on house arrest and had an ankle monitor he'd broken. News 10 wasn't able to verify that information in public documents, though we did get in touch with Pollard's parole officer.
She wouldn't answer our questions and referred us to a spokesperson for the Louisiana Department of Public Safety. He said they will have answers by next week.
