Three Louisiana state troopers are facing misdemeanor charges after the beating of a Black man following a high-speed pursuit in May 2020.
The victim reportedly had a suspended license and outstanding warrants when he was pulled over for a minor traffic violation. He fled from troopers during the stop.
Body cam video showed the victim was repeatedly struck and slapped by the state troopers who were on top of him while he was face down after he surrendered following the chase. At one point troopers also grabbed the man by his braids as they lifted him to his feet.
Some time after the incident, the troopers involved, who are all White, reportedly exchanged text messages calling the assault a “whoopin” that would leave the man “sore tomorrow” and give him “nightmares for a long time.”
The troopers were arrested in February 2021 on felony charges of malfeasance in office, but prosecutors chose to drop those charges earlier this month.
The state troopers are facing misdemeanor simple battery charges, which carry a maximum sentence of six months jail time and a $1,000 fine.
More about the horrendous ordeal and the three troopers can be found here.
Opinion: It’s beyond disturbing how often the charges against law enforcement personnel involved in obvious misconduct, and in this case, brutality, are lowered or completed dropped by prosecutors. BNN has posted at least three similar incidents within the last 10 days involving Black victims of crimes perpetuated by White men. Hopefully a civil suit follows and the victim receives the maximum payout possible.
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