New Orleans security guard convicted in assault with firearm
New Orleans LA Feb 5 2018 A 62-year-old Metairie man was found guilty Thursday (Feb. 1) of attempted assault with a firearm after prosecutors say he pointed a gun in July at a cyclist who had asked him to stop texting while driving, according to the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office.
A news release from DA Leon Cannizzaro’s office states Frank Heuer Jr., was found guilty of attempted assault with a firearm based on a traffic encounter that occurred July 5, 2017. Heuer worked as a security guard at the time of the encounter, the DA’s office said in the release.
During a trial for a six-person jury, the cyclist, who the release states is a member of the U.S. Coast Guard, testified Heuer was driving his blue Toyota Corolla erratically shortly after 8 a.m. on St. Charles Avenue, in the direction of downtown. The cyclist testified he “yelled at the driver, telling him to stop texting and pay attention to the road,” the release states. The cyclist again yelled at Heuer when he continued driving erratically and texting, the release states. At that point, the cyclist said, Heuer took a black semiautomatic Glock 17 pistol out a holster and “pointed it at the cyclist’s face,” according to the release.
The cyclist then flagged down a New Orleans police officer, and the officer arrested Heuer.
The jury had an option of finding Heuer guilty of a more serious charge, aggravated assault with a firearm, with which he was initially charged. The jury instead found him guilty of the lesser charge, which carries a maximum penalty of five years. The DA’s office notes the conviction will trigger the revocation of Heuer’s special officer license obtained related to his work as a security guard. It will also bar him from possessing or carrying a firearm.
Orleans Criminal District Judge Byron C. Williams is scheduled to sentence Heuer Feb. 21. The judge set his bond at $5,000.
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