SHREVEPORT, La. – A Louisiana man who is accused of killing, dismembering and hiding the body of a business associate faces more charges after overpowering a deputy and trying to escape from a Shreveport hospital.
Fortunately, John Hardy didn’t make it out of the hospital room after a physician and staff tackled him and held him until additional officers arrived, Shreveport police Cpl. Angie Wilhite said.
Hardy is charged with second-degree murder and obstruction of justice in the death of Garrett Wilson, 48.
Wilson worked with Hardy in his air conditioning and heating repair business. He was reported missing Jan. 26 after not being seen for three days, KTBS reported.
Hardy, 43, was reported missing on Feb. 19 – only to be found two days later when he was arrested the day after Wilson’s remains were discovered on a hunting lease in north Bossier Parish.
According to KTBS, the criminal defendant is a former Bossier City police officer and parish sheriff’s deputy. They did not report his length of service or reason for separation.
Hardy had used a walker to get around due to an accidental gunshot wound to his leg last year. However, since his arrest there have been reports of him being seen getting around without it.
Hardy, who is held on a $1.3 million bond at Bossier Maximum Security facility, was taken around noon Friday to Ochsner LSU Health hospital reportedly for medical treatment related to his leg. Once at the facility, he overpowered a Bossier sheriff’s deputy who was guarding him inside the hospital room, took her pepper spray and sprayed her. He then tried to take her duty weapon, Wilhite said.
As a result, the physician in the room tackled Hardy to prevent his escape and was assisted in securing him until hospital police and other officers arrived, Wilhite said.
“His escape efforts were thwarted … and he didn’t make it out of the room,” Wilhite said.
The sheriff’s deputy had minor injuries and was treated, KTBS reported.
A Shreveport police detective investigated the incident and obtained arrest warrants charging Hardy with disarming of a peace officer and battery of a police officer. Instead of being booked into the Shreveport City Jail, Hardy was taken back to Bossier Max under the guard of additional BPSO deputies, Wilhite said.
The additional bond on the new charges was set at $50,000.
Hardy is scheduled to appear in Bossier District Court on March 24 for a bond reduction hearing. His attorney claimed he’s not a flight risk.
Wilson, who had felony convictions in two high profile but separate murder and theft cases dating to the mid ‘90s, was helping Hardy with his business because of his leg injury. Wilson had a background in the air conditioning and heating industry, too.
Hardy filed a complaint with Bossier City police on Feb. 5, accusing Wilson of stealing from him. Hardy became suspicious when he started receiving tax forms showing his business had been paid for heating and air conditioning work Hardy didn’t know about.
Sources told KTBS Hardy had a connection to the lease where Wilson’s remains were found. And he also was reportedly caught on a trail camera standing next to a burn pile with some of Wilson’s clothing nearby, the sources said.
