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Man accused of killing Saskatchewan Roughrider Joe McKnight indicted on second-degree murder

Running Back Joe McKnight #25 of the New York Jets is seen in this September 23, 2012 photo in Miami Gardens, Florida. McKnight was shot to death on Dec. 1. Al Pereira/New York Jets/Getty Images

The Louisiana man who allegedly shot Saskatchewan Roughrider Joe McKnight in a suspected road rage dispute has been indicted on a second-degree murder charge.

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On Thursday, the Jefferson Parish District Attorney’s Office in Louisiana announced that a grand jury has returned an indictment against Ronald Gasser, Jr, 55.

READ MORE: Saskatchewan Roughrider Joe McKnight killed in Louisiana shooting

Gasser was originally arrested and charged with manslaughter days after McKnight was shot and killed on Dec. 1. He was initially taken into custody and released on the day of the shooting, prompting backlash.

If convicted as charged, the district attorney said in a statement that Gasser would “face a sentence of life imprisonment at hard labor without benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence.”

READ MORE: Man who says he shot Joe McKnight charged with manslaughter

As a result of the indictment, Gasser’s bond was increased to $750,000.

McKnight, 28, was shot and killed in an apparent road rage incident in Terrytown, La. Terrytown is a suburb of New Orleans.

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Later in December, at a press conference, Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand described the incident.
According to Normand, the dispute between the men started on a bridge and proceeded into a New Orleans suburb, with both men driving erratically and yelling at each other. Eventually, the cars came to a stop and McKnight confronted Gasser, who was still seated in his car, the sheriff said.
Gasser pulled out a gun and shot McKnight three times, killing him. When deputies arrived, the sheriff said Gasser handed them his gun and said he shot McKnight.

WATCH: Sheriff provides timeline of fatal shooting of ex-CFL player Joe McKnight

The sheriff said McKnight did have a gun in his vehicle but no evidence suggested he insinuated anything about it. It was his stepfather’s gun and his stepfather’s vehicle.

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At the same press conference, Normand defended the investigation and criticized derogatory remarks about the process, including racially charged comments.

WATCH: Sheriff discusses release of Joe McKnight shooter, tells community to let police ‘do their job

McKnight was the second CFL player to be shot to death in 2016. Stampeders defensive back Mylan Hicks was killed outside a Calgary nightclub in September.

The body of former NFL player Joe McKnight lies between the shooter’s vehicle at left and his Audi SUV at right as the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office investigates the scene in Terrytown, La., on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016. Michael DeMocker /NOLA.com The Times-Picayune via AP

McKnight was signed to Saskatchewan’s practice roster on Sept. 26, 2016, after starting the season with the Edmonton Eskimos. He ran for 150 yards in his first CFL start on Oct. 15, 2016, as the Roughriders beat Toronto 29-11. He finished the 2016 season with 228 rushing yards and 80 receiving yards over five games with Edmonton and Saskatchewan.

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He played three seasons for the New York Jets and one with the Kansas City Chiefs before going to the CFL.

WATCH: Former Jets teammates remember Joe McKnight

With files from The Associated Press

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