Several protesters who gathered outside Baton Rouge police headquarters Wednesday evening were detained in handcuffs and later released after walking past concrete barricades and refusing to move off the department's property on Airline Highway.
The protest was organized in response to the recent arrest of a juvenile during which an officer pinned the teen underneath his knee while placing the suspect in handcuffs. Video of the arrest shared on social media prompted public outcry from people who found the image disturbingly similar to the scene in Minneapolis where George Floyd died after an officer kneeled on his neck for about eight minutes. Floyd's death ignited nationwide protests against racism and police brutality.
Unlike other recent demonstrations in Baton Rouge, Wednesday's was the first time protesters brought their message right to BRPD headquarters. Prior demonstrations took place downtown and in the St. George area.
The group of almost 100 people first marched down the side of Airline Highway past the BRPD headquarters, then started moving past a barricade and onto department property. Police had blocked off all entrances to the compound with barricades and caution tape. Most of the entrances also had officers stationed there and several unmarked vehicles were patrolling the area.
About 20 people made it past the barricade before several officers approached them and told them they weren't allowed to protest on the property and had to remain on the other side of the fence.
"There are some rules you need to follow so we don't have to get involved," Sgt. Mike Walker told protest organizers. "You can protest all you want. I'm all about it. … But you can't come on this property."
Some protesters argued back that police headquarters is public property and claimed the police chief had invited them to come demonstrate. The conversation was heated, but both parties spoke calmly throughout the interaction.
When the protesters still didn't comply after several minutes, officers quickly placed about 10 of them in handcuffs and led them to nearby police units. The detainees chanted while being escorted away: "No justice no peace. No racist police."
After video surfaced on social media depicting a scene in Baton Rouge reminiscent of George Floyd's recent death at the hands of Minneapolis l…
The remaining protesters then waited outside the barricade, unsure what was happening to their friends. But less than an hour later, the detained protesters emerged from BRPD headquarters accompanied by Chief Murphy Paul and other department leaders. The group had been detained but released without charges, a department spokesman confirmed.
Paul then spent several minutes deep in conversation with a few protesters, listening intently to their concerns. He declined to comment publicly on that discussion but expressed relief that a peaceful resolution had been reached. The protest disbanded soon thereafter — the latest of several demonstrations against racism and police brutality.
"Our city is still healing from events that have forever impacted the strength of our community and police relations," Mayor Sharon Weston Broome said in a statement Wednesday night, noting that the "situation at police headquarters was deescalated" and resulted in open dialogue about improving that relationship.
Another night of protests against police brutality unfolded Wednesday night along Siegen Lane, with protesters this time targeting individual …
Organizers have repeatedly emphasized the importance of remaining peaceful during recent protests, but their messaging shifted somewhat after video footage surfaced of the Baton Rouge juvenile pinned on the ground. Protesters said the video of that interaction is a clear example of abusive policing practices, starting with the traffic stop for an alleged seat belt violation and ending with the knee restraint.
"It's not the first time people have seen police brutality in Baton Rouge," said Domonique Davis, an LSU women's basketball player who participated in the protest. "We're tired of seeing the same thing generation after generation."
BRPD leaders have argued the officer placed his knee on the teen's upper back, not his neck. That means the officer's actions likely did not violate department policy, though an internal investigation is still ongoing and two officers have been placed on leave pending the results.
Body camera footage released Tuesday evening of a Baton Rouge police officer kneeling on a juvenile suspect shows the teenager was pinned on t…
The department acted quickly Tuesday to release extensive bodycam footage of the encounter. One video focuses briefly on the officer's knee, showing it on the back, but it's unclear whether that position changed once the camera focused elsewhere. The teen was pinned on the ground for about 20 seconds total. He then got up and walked away in handcuffs.
His movements in the video showed no sign of significant injuries, but the teen's mother said he is now wearing a neck brace and has an appointment with a neurosurgeon.
That incident occurred near the intersection of North Acadian Thruway and Bogan Walk the evening of July 6. Both the juvenile and the driver were later arrested on counts stemming from the chase and marijuana possession.
Protesters on Wednesday said that regardless of where exactly the officer placed his knee, the use of that restraint tactic was unnecessary under the circumstances because the suspect had surrendered to police immediately upon exiting the vehicle. Video footage shows he kneeled in the street with his hands in the air while onlookers started chanting "don't shoot."
While that incident sparked the protest, some participants said the underlying issues are much bigger: systemic racism and persistent bias.
"It's the little things that add up and dehumanize people," said Joan Broussard, of Baton Rouge. "Black lives matter more than white feelings right now."
St. George organizers don't understand why protests against police brutality have arrived at their doorstep.
