Sheriff defends initial decision to release Joe McKnight shooter

A sheriff in Louisiana is defending the investigation of a man who fatally shot ex-NFL player Joe McKnight during a road rage dispute.

Authorities say the shooter, Ronald Gasser, was taken into custody, questioned and released after the killing last Thursday. Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand drew heated criticism for allowing Gasser's release.

On Tuesday, a day after Gasser was arrested and charged with manslaughter, the sheriff said Gasser had been released for strategic investigative reasons and because authorities needed to talk to witnesses.

The sheriff angrily said his department had been unfairly criticized, and he said the tone of some of the comments were outrageous. He read some of the criticisms aloud and slammed on the podium a couple of times, showing his frustration with some demands of immediate justice.