BELLE CHASSE -- It was late Wednesday night around 10:30 pm when Retired Army Major Tracy Riley returned home to her house in Plaquemines Parish. She noticed a suspicious vehicle coming from her long driveway. Tracy says she walked inside her home and alerted her husband.
"I know we've been doing some contracting on the house and I was concerned that we may be scoped out," Tracy Riley said.
Frantic, Tracy Riley called 911, her husband, Retired Major Dale Riley, grabbed his AR-15 and ran to his back door, firing multiple warning shots into the grass.
"The car stopped at one point. Sped up to the adjacent property and went into the woodline," Tracy Riley said.
Police arrived in less than 20 minutes, but instead of relief, she felt fear.
"I could see at least 2 officers with their weapons pointed down finger on the trigger, with a clear line of sight to our front door as they instructed us to follow their guidance," Riley said.
They cautiously walked down the steps.
"I remember feeling oh my God! This could be our last day alive," Riley said.
Tracy says she felt like she was being interrogated.
"The accusatory nature, the blaming or judgment nature, entered the tone of the questioning. And I interrupted the Officer and asked if he was acting as judge and jury at one point..and that's when the conversation just went downhill," Riley said.
Dale Riley was arrested and charged with illegal discharge of a weapon.
"Which was extremely surprising given this is our property and we were attempting to protect it under our second amendment rights," Tracy Riley said.
Eyewitness News reached out to Plaquemines Parish Sheriff Gerald Turlich who tells us the person in the suspicious car was a Verizon technician who made a wrong turn. Sheriff Turlich says Dale Riley fired 41 rounds and the worker also called 911, fearing for his life.
Dale finally returned home after being in custody for several hours.
"As a police officer, they could've said, 'Mr. Riley look. Next time, just call the police and let us handle it. Instead of having them take me to jail, " Dale Riley said.
Tracy Riley says she spoke with the Sheriff at his office for more than an hour. She feels his heart is in the right place, but still believes training and procedure could be improved.
"I do believe that there is a huge gap between what I see as a person of color in a community, compared to what a leader in a sheriff's position is providing, but that can be fixed," Tracy Riley said.
Only when it is fixed does Tracy Riley believe that the healing process can begin.