4 Louisiana state troopers booked with excessive force in past incidents

The Louisiana State Police announced the Monday arrests of four Louisiana State Police officers from Troop F for turning off their body cameras, using excessive force on men they were arresting and lying about what happened. The troopers’ alleged crimes happened in July 2019 and May 2020.

In a statement, Col. Lamar Davis, the Louisiana State Police superintendent, said, “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.”

In the July 2019 incident, investigators with the state police say Jacob Brown, 30 and Randall Dickerson, 34, found what they believed to be narcotics in a car and took the driver into custody on Interstate 20 in Ouachita Parish.  According to a statement from state police spokesperson Lt. Nick Manale, “Troopers Brown and Dickerson utilized excessive and unjustifiable force on the handcuffed driver, deactivated body worn cameras, and reported untruthful statements regarding the alleged resistance by the suspect.”  Each was booked with simple battery and malfeasance in office.

In the May 2020 incident, Manale’s statement says, a troopers deflated the tires of a fleeing suspect in Franklin Parish.  The suspect then lay down on the ground “in a compliant position.” In that case, investigators say Dakota DeMoss, 28, George Harper, 26, and the same Trooper Brown suspected of excessive use of force in the 2019 incident “utilized excessive and unjustifiable force during the handcuffing process and deactivated body worn cameras. Brown additionally falsified the Use of Force Report and Arrest Report and failed to indicate and provide video evidence.”

All four troopers were arrested without incident and have been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigations.