This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

Ronald Gasser, the man who fatally shot ex-NFL player Joe McKnight in an apparent road rage incident last week, was arrested on Monday on one count of manslaughter charge, Jefferson parish sheriff Newell Normand said.

Joe McKnight is dead because his life didn't matter enough for him to be alive Read more

The move came after Gasser was taken into custody and released without charges after admitting to shooting and killing McKnight on Thursday afternoon in the New Orleans suburb of Terrytown.



Normand defended his decision to not immediately arrest Gasser during a fiery press conference on Tuesday morning, citing “strategic reasons” and a lack of corroborating or contradictory statements from witnesses. He said they have conducted 160 interviews since then.

“This case is still maturing,” Normand said. “Our arrest is only as good as a prosecution.”

The sheriff said Gasser never asked for an attorney and spent more than 10 hours in non-custodial interviews with police, during which he attempted to establish a ‘stand your ground’ defense. He also granted a consent search of his home.



Authorities had confirmed Gasser was the shooter in a Friday news conference, reporting the 54-year-old fired three rounds through an open window while McKnight was standing outside his car. McKnight was struck in the chest, right shoulder and left hand.

Ronald Gasser faces a manslaughter charge in the shooting of Joe McKnight. Photograph: Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office

Police had said no gun was found on or near McKnight’s body. Normand said on Thursday that a gun belonging to McKnight’s stepfather, whose car McKnight was borrowing, was found inside the car, but there was no evidence to show any insinuation of use.

Normand said the initial eyewitness in the case lied, including a claim that Gasser exited the car first and said he voted for Donald Trump before shooting McKnight.

“If you’re sincere about justice I would suggest that you pause and you let your elected folks in the criminal justice system do their jobs,” said Normand, who vehemently defended his department from criticism he described as unfair.

The sheriff bristled at a reporter’s question over whether he understood the public’s reaction to the decision to release Gasser, who is white.

Normand cited the increased frequency of black-on-black homicides in the parish to characterise the public outcry as misguided.

“Statistically, your fear is misdirected,” he said. “This is not about race. Not a single witness said there was one racial slur uttered.”

McKnight, a New Orleans native who went on to a decorated collegiate career at the University of Southern California, was chosen by the New York Jets in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL draft.



He played three seasons with the Jets, followed by a one-year stint with the Kansas City Chiefs and brief comeback attempts with the Edmonton Eskimos and Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League.

The Jets held a moment of silence to honor McKnight before Monday night’s game against the Indianapolis Colts at MetLife Stadium.