Arrest made after gun battle, violent attack inside restaurant near LSU

BATON ROUGE – New details were released about a violent altercation at a restaurant just off the LSU campus that ended in a gunfight recently.

WBRZ obtained details through an arrest report filed at the jail after a suspect was arrested related to a shooting at the Taco Bell on Burbank Drive in January. Derrick Ricard, 24, was booked into jail on attempted murder, illegal possession of a stolen firearm and illegal use of weapons.

Police said Ricard targeted the victim in what appears to have been an unknown, ongoing dispute between the two.

The shooting followed the victim being attacked inside the store by unknown attackers who left the restaurant before the gunfire, police said.

For about 30 minutes, the victim was watched, beaten and fired at before midnight on January 21. At first, police said, the victim was jumped by two larger men inside the store. As the unknown attackers were stomping and punching the victim on the ground, police said Ricard walked out of the restaurant and into the parking lot where he retrieved a gun.

Police said Ricard, who is an employee at the restaurant, waits behind the counter as the victim went from inside the restaurant to outside, then back inside to collect his clothing that fell off during the assault.

Police believe the victim went to a car parked in the parking lot to arm himself and was in “great fear for his well being.” After the victim returned to the inside of the restaurant to get his things, Ricard yelled “hey” from across the dining room, moved a co-worker out of the way and fired a shot at the victim, police said.

It appears Ricard missed, and was hit by a bullet when the victim returned fire. Ricard was injured and had someone hide his stolen gun, police said.

Police said Ricard has a criminal history, including arrests for drugs and stealing cars.

Police said security video showed the men who initially attacked the victim rummage through the car the victim was in and took something.

The shooting followed an unrelated incident a week earlier and next door where gunfire near Mellow Mushroom caused chaos and panic in a packed parking lot. As groups fled, a person trying to drive out of the lot got caught in the crowd and was attacked as she knocked people over and bumped into cars. The driver was beaten, and her car damaged by the scared mob. Two people were arrested following that incident.

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