Louisiana police officer killed during a SWAT operation, officials say

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A Louisiana police officer was killed this week during a hostage and standoff situation, the Lafayette Police Department said Friday.

In a statement on its Facebook page, the department identified the officer killed as Senior Cpl. Segus Jolivette, a SWAT negotiator. The husband and father of five joined the department in November 2013 and had served as a school resource officer in the past.

The officer was killed during a SWAT operation Thursday in the small city of Jeanerette in southern Louisiana. Police say that the operation included a standoff and hostage situation. Additional details about what led up to Jolivette's death were not immediately available.

Trooper Peggy Bourque, a spokesperson for the Louisiana State Police, told The Associated Press on Friday morning that a suspect “has been captured and is no longer a threat to the public.” Officials have not provided the name or details of the suspect.

Multiple police agencies and officials took to social media Thursday night to mourn the death of the officer.

“Today we lost one of our best in the line of duty,” Lafayette Parish Mayor-President Monique Blanco Boulet said in a written statement. “I offer my prayers, my sympathies and my support to his wife, his children, his parents, and his entire family. They are experiencing the most difficult and unimaginable kind of loss.”

In a statement from the Police Association of Lafayette, Jolivette was described as a “wonderful human being” and “exceptional in every way and courageous in every action he undertook.”

Before joining the Lafayette department, Jolivette worked for the Opelousas Police Department. Lafayette police said Jolivette dedicated much of his free time supporting the Explorer Program, “helping Lafayette's youth to gain a better understanding of law enforcement operations and the importance of relationship building in our community.”

“His legacy of bravery and dedication will be remembered and honored by all who knew him,” Lafayette police said in a statement.

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Associated Press writers Kevin McGill in New Orleans and Jeff Martin in Atlanta contributed to this report.