Assaulted by son with taser, father doesn’t participate in prosecution efforts
Published 12:13 am Wednesday, November 1, 2017
- Norman Duhe
GARYVILLE — A Garyville man assaulted multiple times with a taser by his son did not participate in prosecution efforts, forcing the St. John the Baptist Parish District Attorney’s office to drop an armed robbery charge associated with the case, authorities said.
“The victim was not cooperative with the prosecution going forward and requested that the charges be dismissed,” D.A. Bridget A. Dinvaut said. “When you have an uncooperative victim, that leaves the state with insufficient evidence to proceed with the prosecution.”
On April 28, the St. John Sheriff’s Office said Norman Duhe, mad because his father would not give him money, turned on the 57-year-old Garyville resident, repeatedly attacking him with a stun gun and stealing cash from his pockets.
“This type of behavior is unacceptable,” Dinvaut said. “Even though his conduct was directed at his father and that is a family issue and a personal issue, the State still finds it to be unacceptable and will definitely look at it in a different way should he engage in additional similar activities.”
Duhe of LaPlace was initially facing armed robbery and domestic abuse battery charges following his arrest.
The victim, identified by police as Duhe’s father, told St. John deputies the assault took place at approximately 6 p.m. in his Little Hope Street home. Police described the event as a verbal argument that escalated into a physical altercation.
“Upon arrival, the victim told deputies … Norman Duhe shocked him a few times in the face, neck and stomach with a taser after he refused to give Duhe money,” a Sheriff’s Office release said.
Duhe removed money from the victim’s pants pocket during the attack and then fled on foot down Little Hope Street toward Louisiana 44, police said.
Deputies canvassed the area but were unable to locate the suspect that evening. Emergency medical services brought the victim to the hospital, where he was treated and released, according to authorities. Police said Duhe turned himself in seven days later.
Prosecutors officially dropped the armed robbery charge Oct. 5, with the Clerk of Court minutes officially logging a prosecution warning to the defendant that similar action would not be taken if the case repeated itself.
According to Sheriff’s Office records, Duhe, 33, was in jail for three months following his arrest.