JENNINGS, La. (KLFY) — New developments have come to light as a bond has been set for Dillon Champagne, the armed suspect Jennings Police arrested after a manhunt earlier this week.

Jennings High School was closed Monday due to Champagne’s being armed on the campus. After a 14-hour manhunt, 37-year-old Champagne was captured off of Hwy. 97 on the Jankie Bridge by the Jennings Police Department.

Jennings Police Chief Danny Semmes said this is the first time his department has experienced something like this, but he’s proud of the combined efforts of local and state law enforcement agencies and champagne’s capture.

“We’ve never had this incident before, but we trained for it, and training paid off,” Semmes said.

Semmes said just before 6 a.m. Monday his department received a 911 call with no response. He says after tracing the call to Jennings High School, officers arrived to employees informing them of an armed suspect attempting to rob them.

“We began a perimeter search around the area.”

Semmes says prior to Champagne arriving at the high school, he allegedly stole a crawfish truck in Duson, parked it at a local gas station in Jennings, before stealing a BMW off of a transport truck.

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“When he realized it was in transport mode, it didn’t go very fast, he ditched it right there next to the school,” Semmes said.

Authorities said he then fired a gun in the air before fleeing the scene. Semmes says the manhunt lasted 14 hours with the help of the Jeff Davis Parish Sheriff’s Office, Louisiana State Police Aviation Unit, and K9 officers and drones from the Allen Correctional Center.

“An officer on the scene was flagged down by a passerby who said they witnessed the subject on the Jankie Bridge that crosses the Nezpique River,” he said.

Semmes said during questioning, Champagne admitted to being under the influence of narcotics while fleeing before he was arrested.

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“That’s a cooperative effort between departments and that just goes to show you what can be done when law enforcement put their heads together,” he said.

Champagne is still being held at the Jeff Davis Parish Jail with a bond set for $1.3 million on 18 felony charges. His charges are theft of a motor vehicle, aggravated burglary, four counts of aggravated assault with firearm, attempted armed robbery, possession of a stolen firearm, illegal carry and discharge of a weapon, carrying a firearm/weapon on a school campus, three counts of simple criminal damage to property, reckless operation of a vehicle and interfering with emergency communications.

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