BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — A man and a woman were arrested in connection with a Monday hit-and-run that injured a Baton Rouge police officer on a motorcycle.

East Baton Rouge Sheriff Sid Gautreaux described the incident that critically injured 23-year veteran Baton Rouge Police Sgt. Caleb Eisworth as a “deliberate and cowardly attack.” The sheriff’s office said Eisworth was traveling northbound on Joor Road near Prescott Road when a car struck him after following him around 11 a.m.

According to an affidavit, a gray 2014 Dodge Ram pickup truck struck Eisworth and fled the crash scene. Shortly after, deputies found the suspect, identified as Gad Black, 41, in the 8400 block of Airline Highway around 12:30 p.m. Black was taken into custody after being tased, deputies said.

Investigators found a social media post written by Black that read: “Check Him Out On Joor Rd. Stretched One.” In an interview with Black, detectives said he alluded to his deep hatred for law enforcement personnel and admitted to following Eisworth before the crash.

A later investigation revealed an alleged family member, Asia Raby, 40, called authorities, stating she was on Greenwell Springs Road and believed a police officer was hit or killed. After dispatchers confirmed deputies were on the scene, Raby claimed that Black is her brother and “was having a mental breakdown.”

Raby reportedly said she located Black, and he was with his mother. She also shared that she took possession of his vehicle. Dispatch told Raby the vehicle was involved in an accident and asked for her location, as well as Black’s. She denied and hung up the call.

Deputies contacted Raby at her home, where the vehicle was located. When asked about the incident, she invoked her right to counsel.

Both suspects were booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison. Black was charged with attempted first-degree murder of a police officer, hate crimes and resisting an officer. Raby was charged with obstruction of justice and accessory after the fact to attempted first-degree murder of a police officer.

Court records show Black was previously arrested in 2014 on charges after a police chase, including aggravated assault with a vehicle on a police officer and battery on an officer. According to arrest documents, a police K-9 and an officer were punched.

A BRPD spokesperson said Eisworth remains in critical condition Tuesday but is showing signs of improvement. Mayor-President Sid Edwards said he’s thankful that Eisworth is making improvements and prays for a full recovery.

“What happened yesterday was a travesty and simply won’t be tolerated in our community,” Edwards said. “Please continue to keep our law enforcement officers and first responders in your thoughts and prayers as they put their lives in danger every day in order to protect and serve.”

An investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office at 225-389-5000.

Law enforcement leaders, mayor call for prayers

East Baton Rouge’s sheriff asks the community to pray for Eisworth’s family and the Baton Rouge Police Department while vowing to fully investigate the crash. According to the sheriff’s office, Edwards and BRPD Chief TJ Morse were briefed on the crash.

“Today’s incident is a sobering reminder of the dangers law enforcement officers face every day in the line of duty to protect and serve our community,” Edwards said. “Our administration is keeping the injured officer, his family, and the entire BRPD family in our thoughts and prayers.”

“Today’s senseless act of violence against our Baton Rouge Police Officer is absolutely unacceptable,” Morse said. “This behavior against law enforcement Officers will not be tolerated and will result in the highest appropriate criminal charges and enforcement.”

Read Gautreaux’s full statement below.

“This was a deliberate and cowardly attack on an officer—one of our community’s protectors—and it strikes at the very heart of public safety. Sgt. Eisworth is a dedicated public servant who has spent over two decades protecting this city, and he was targeted while simply doing his job. We are outraged by this senseless act of violence and fully committed to ensuring the individual responsible is held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.

“I want Sgt. Eisworth’s family, his BRPD family, and all of East Baton Rouge Parish to know that we are standing with and praying for you. I ask this entire community to lift him up with the same strength and support that he has shown us through years of faithful service.

“I also want to commend our deputies and the responding agencies for their swift coordination and outstanding work in bringing the suspect into custody so quickly. In moments like these, it becomes clear how essential unity is in law enforcement—and how deeply committed we all are to protecting one another and the people we serve.

“Let me be clear: any targeted violence against a law enforcement officer will never be tolerated. It will be investigated aggressively, prosecuted thoroughly, and condemned without hesitation.”

EBR Sheriff Sid Gautreaux

Law enforcement agencies, including the Louisiana State Police, the West Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Denham Springs Police Department, have offered their thoughts and prayers to Eisworth and BRPD on Monday afternoon.