EDGARD — A St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s deputy shot an Edgard man Monday after the man reached for a gun while fleeing, authorities said.

According to a Sheriff’s Office release, Deputy Antwan Johnson was working crowd control at Bozy’s Bar, in the 200 block of E. 6^th St. in Edgard, at approximately 1 a.m. Monday when he observed a male with a handgun in the front waistband of his pants. When Johnson approached the man — later identified by police as Robin Carter, 25, of Edgard — to question him about the weapon, Carter fled.

After a brief foot chase, Johnson was attempting to detain Carter when he fled again. As he ran, Carter reached inside his waistband for the weapon, police said. Johnson fired at Carter, hitting him in the thigh.

Deputies recovered the handgun in Carter’s pants.

Emergency medical services treated Carter on the scene, then brought him to a local hospital. He was later airlifted to a New Orleans hospital, where he was treated and released.

Carter was arrested Monday and booked with felony second degree battery, felony resisting an officer with force or violence, felony possession of a firearm/carrying a concealed weapon by a convicted felon. He is being held in lieu of a $55,000 bond.

Johnson, who has been a Sheriff’s deputy for approximately four years, was treated for a fractured hand and released. He was placed on leave due to his injury. No administrative disciplinary action has been taken at this time, according to Sheriff Mike Tregre.

The incident remains under internal review and the findings will be presented to a use of force board to determine if there are to be any departmental policy and procedure violations, Tregre said.