A person commits a criminal offense (crime) if they intentionally flee from a person they know or should know is a peace officer or federal special investigator attempting to lawfully arrest or detain them. A person will be subject to higher penalties if they use a motor vehicle or watercraft while evading arrest or detention, or cause injury to another person. This criminal offense is also known as “fleeing and eluding.”
In Louisiana, fleeing and eluding a peace officer is considered a criminal offense. This occurs when an individual intentionally escapes from someone they are aware, or should be aware, is a peace officer or federal special investigator who is trying to lawfully arrest or detain them. The penalties for this offense are more severe if the individual uses a motor vehicle or watercraft to flee, or if their actions result in injury to another person. The law is designed to discourage individuals from evading law enforcement and to ensure that peace officers can perform their duties without obstruction. The specific statutes and penalties can vary, but they generally include fines, imprisonment, or both, and the severity of the punishment typically increases with the gravity of the offense, such as causing injury or using a vehicle in the act of fleeing.