Weeks after the Baton Rouge Police Department faced accusations that officers had subjected detainees to humiliating strip-searches in an unmarked “torture warehouse,” four officers have been accused of carrying out and covering up another violent incident in a precinct bathroom.
Two Baton Rouge police officers brought a man they had arrested to the bathroom of a precinct building in September 2020 to strip-search him, Police Chief Murphy Paul Jr. said in a Friday news conference.
To force him to comply, the officers threatened him by drawing their Tasers, Paul said. An officer then struck the man.
The officers inadvertently captured video of the incident on their body cameras, which began recording once the officers activated their Tasers, Paul said. A supervisor who reviewed the videos told the officers that the videos probably captured an excessive use of force, and the group then conspired to cover up the incident by disposing of the devices, Paul said.
Four Baton Rouge police officers — Deputy Chief Troy Lawrence Sr., Cpl. Todd Thomas, Sgt. Jesse Barcelona and Cpl. Douglas Chutz — were charged Thursday after a department investigation, Paul said.
“There is no room for misconduct or unethical behavior in our department,” Paul said. …
So there’s a waiting list?
“Fellas, you were caught with your pants down, you know we can’t get you out of this one, right? Just keep your head down for your light prison sentence and we’ll let you back when you’re out.”