PORT ALLEN - A man died Wednesday afternoon at a tire shop in Port Allen in what police say could have been a medical emergency. The Port Allen Police Department said a call came in around 2 p.m. that a shooting happened at Express Tire Shop near the intersection of LA 1 and Court Street. Officers at the scene believed that Rickey Merritt Sr. was shot to death in his truck. About an hour later, the coroner said that Merritt Sr. could have had a medical emergency and died. Officers are waiting on an autopsy to determine the cause of death. Officials said that the shooting was possibly reported due to Merritt Sr.'s truck backfiring and the sound was mistaken for a gunshot. It's unclear if any shots were fired. Permalink| Comments