Taxi driver fatally shoots would be armed robber, sheriff says

METAIRIE, La. (WVUE) - A man who reportedly tried to rob a taxi driver at gunpoint was shot and killed by the cab driver in an act of self-defense, according to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office.

The shooting happened Mon., Aug. 21, around 1 a.m. near the intersection of Robertson Street and Merit Way.

A spokesperson for JPSO identified the victim as 23-year-old Gerald Pope.

Authorities have classified Pope’s death as justifiable homicide, according to Capt. Jason Rivarde.

Rivarde says the taxi driver will not face criminal charges.

An investigation into the events leading up to the attempted robbery and subsequent shooting are ongoing.

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