08/17/2026
On Saturday, August 15, 2026, at 2:40 p.m., the Lake Charles Police Department (LCPD) was notified by Acadian Ambulance in reference to a call they were responding to where a subject was “not acting right” and stated that when they arrived at the location in the 2300 block of Creole Street, the subject was observed walking around, carrying a knife. They requested assistance from LCPD.
At 2:42 p.m. Officers arrived in the 2300 block of Creole Street and were advised that the male subject had entered an apartment. The subject was identified as 28-year-old Khylin Stevens and Patrol Officers began making verbal callouts to Stevens. A female, who had previously exited the apartment, advised Officers that she was the victim of an aggravated assault.
After receiving no response to repeated callouts, LCPD SWAT, hostage and crisis negotiators were initiated at 3:37 p.m. At 5:33 p.m., negotiators attempted to establish a direct line of communication with Stevens by deploying a phone and the SPOT robot K9. At 5:38 pm, Officers observed Stevens stabbing the robot.
For the next several hours, Officers deployed numerous less-lethal assets in an attempt to resolve the situation, while negotiators continued their efforts to communicate with Stevens and have him exit the apartment peacefully.
At 8:13 p.m., Stevens moved towards a window previously breached by SWAT officers, and in an attempt to subdue him, Officers deployed two less-lethal impact rounds with no effect. The subject retreated further into the apartment.
At 10:13 p.m., Officers deployed additional breaching tactics and chemical munitions in an attempt to have the subject exit the bathroom in which he was barricaded. At 10:14 p.m., he exited the apartment through the front door, armed with knives and ran toward the parking lot and an officer involved shooting occurred at this point.
The officer involved shooting has been turned over to the Louisiana State Police for an independent investigation.
“Any loss of life is a tragedy. From our Officers to our hostage and Crisis Intervention team, every attempt was made to resolve this situation peacefully,” said Chief Shawn Caldwell. “We immediately called in the Louisiana State Police, as is our protocol, to investigate the officer involved shooting, and we are committed to cooperating with them fully to ensure a thorough and transparent investigation.”
The investigation into the aggravated assault is ongoing and anyone with information is encouraged to contact Sgt. Kevin Hoover by calling (337) 491-1311 or submit an anonymous tip through the Lake Charles PD App.
