On June 21, 2016, 23rd Judicial Assistant District Attorneys Larry Buquoi and Amy Colby began a jury trial in Thibodaux, LA., after District Attorney Camille “Cam” Movant of Lafourche Parish recused his office in the matter of State of Louisiana vs. Darren Kitchen.
After three days in the courtroom, a Lafourche Parish jury found Darren Kitchen of Lafourche parish guilty as charged on counts of Aggravated Second Degree Battery, Aggravated Battery (2 counts), and Aggravated Criminal Damage to Property. This conviction stems after a 2012 incident involving Kitchen and multiple victims.
On July 2, 2012, a distant relative of Darren Kitchen agreed to drive Kitchen to his ex-girlfriend’s residence. Upon arriving in the area of the residence, Kitchen observed his former girlfriend speaking to a male subject in the driveway who was identified as a friend of Kitchen’s ex-girlfriend. At this time, the ex-girlfriend of Kitchen jumps into her friends’ vehicle and instructs him to drive her away from the area. At some point shortly after, Kitchen swaps to the driver seat and proceeds to follow the vehicle occupied by his former girlfriend. As both vehicles are approaching an intersection, Kitchen pulls on side of the other vehicle and proceeds to exit his relative’s vehicle and move toward the vehicle occupied by his former girlfriend. The friend of Kitchen’s ex-girlfriend speeds away on to Hwy 20 and heads towards Thibodaux with the intent of going to the sheriff’s office. While en route towards the sheriff’s office, Kitchen proceeds to ram the other vehicle from behind. After ramming the other vehicle numerous times, Kitchen made the decision to pull to the left side of the other vehicle while traveling at a high rate of speed and again tries to run them off the road. Shortly thereafter, the vehicles collide and the vehicle driven by Kitchen veers off of the roadway into the right ditch. The vehicle occupied by the victims veered off of the roadway to the left and struck a culvert at the entrance to a subdivision before becoming airborne. After a rough landing, the victims were able to drive away; however, Kitchen continued to chase them on foot while Kitchen’s relative remained temporarily unconscious in the vehicle driven by Kitchen. The victims in the second vehicle sustained minor injuries. Kitchen was then arrested on the above listed charges.
On November 18, 2016, Kitchen appeared before the Honorable Judge John LeBlanc for sentencing. Judge Leblanc ordered that Kitchen be committed to the Louisiana Department of Corrections for a period of 10 years at hard labor with credit for time served on each count. Judge Leblanc further ordered that the imposed sentences are to run consecutive to one another for a total of 40 years.