Four Louisiana State Police (LSP) troopers were arrested on charges of excessive force following an internal investigation.
Officers Jacob Brown, 30; Randall Dickerson, 34; Dakota DeMoss, 28; and George Harper, 26, who served in the northern region of Louisiana were arrested and charged with simple battery and malfeasance in office. The charges stem from a traffic stop in July 2019 during which a motorist was beaten.
The officers found narcotics on the driver who was then arrested and handcuffed. After the arrest, Brown and Dickerson are accused of then using “excessive and unjustifiable force.” Each trooper shut off their body cams during the incident and claimed the suspect was resisting arrest.
LSP Superintendent Colonel Lamar Davis released a statement, stating, “The unjustifiable use of force by our personnel is inexcusable and tarnishes the exemplary work of our dedicated men and women of the Department of Public Safety.
“I commend our investigative team for their diligence and professionalism during this investigation,” Davis continued. “Our agency remains committed to upholding the public trust and providing professional, fair and compassionate public safety services.”
As the new head of LSP, Davis is the fourth black man in the agency’s history to hold the position. He has stated his commitment to bring forth more accountability and transparency to the agency.