Robert Sonnier
Robert Sonnier was a 62-year-old man from Loreauville, a devout Catholic who whittled wooden crosses and angels and spent time at St. Joseph's Catholic Church; he was a father of three, and his wife Barbara said he liked to go to church when no one was there. He was held at the Iberia Parish jail, and his death on May 30, 2011 came weeks after a confrontation with deputies in which, according to the State Police investigation and a family lawsuit, a deputy's open-palm strike knocked him backward and his head struck a concrete wall. Sources say he was airlifted to a New Orleans hospital, where he died of a traumatic brain injury. The State Police found no criminal intent, and the family settled a lawsuit against the Sheriff's Office.
Cause of death, as reported: Killed by staff. The family's lawsuit says a deputy's open-palm strike knocked him backward and his head hit a concrete wall, causing a traumatic brain injury; the State Police found no criminal intent.
Reported by: The Advocate (reporters); State Police (outside investigators); family deposition and lawsuit.
Lawsuit: His family sued the Iberia Parish Sheriff's Office and settled the lawsuit.