Man suspected in death of officer, woman dies

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The man authorities say shot and killed a woman he'd been romantically involved with and a police officer who had tried to help her has died, hours after shooting himself in the chest during a standoff with authorities on a New Orleans bridge.

Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand said during talks with authorities on the bridge Holt admitted shooting Westwego Police Officer Michael Louviere, 26, and Simone Veal, 32, the woman Holt had been romantically involved with.

"Witnesses said Sylvester Holt was ramming his truck into Simone's car and firing shots into the car" before the vehicles stopped at the intersection where Louviere found them, Normand said.

Louisiana State Police spokeswoman Melissa Matey says authorities spent hours negotiating with Holt.

[...] Jefferson Parish District Attorney Paul Connick Jr. said the rape charge was later dropped after the woman repeatedly told authorities she wanted to withdraw the charge, though she still alleged that he had raped her.