Monroe Dispatch - No Struggle, No Progress

Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty. An alleged threat by an armed person is a sure recipe for someone to land themselves in heartbreak hotel. It may also be hot outside, but there are some things one can’t blame on the heat. Guns should not be seen as the first means to settle an altercation, but many do not learn. On Monday, August 20, 2023, a Monroe man was placed under arrest for allegedly running into a fence and making threats with a gun. According to officials with the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s office, Henry Purdy, 50, pulled into an individual’s driveway, almost hitting some other people. According to the report, Purdy produced a black semi-automatic handgun and allegedly pointed it at the victims with threats of killing them. When the officer arrived, he was informed by witnesses who also saw what had happened. They could give statements that matched what the victim had already told the officer.

According to the report, the officer saw damages to the fence, which backed the victim’s statement. Purdy told the officer that he did not have a gun during the incident, but one of the individuals at the scene told the officer that Purdy did have a gun as he was getting out of his vehicle. That person said that Purdy disposed of the gun before law enforcement arrived. Purdy was then arrested and charged with Aggravated Assault with a Firearm and was booked in Ouachita Correctional Center (OCC).