BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) – The Baton Rouge Police Department has cleared officers of wrong-doing following accusations of misconduct by an LSU football player.
BRPD confirms, an internal investigation was conducted and concluded.
In November, Koy Moore made a post on social media alleging officers pulled guns on him while leaving a friend’s apartment.
The post led to BPRD investigating some of its own.
Four months later, the department remains quiet on this case and did not release the body cam footage.
Wednesday’s decision has many speaking out including Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome. In a statement she said,
From the beginning, Chief Murphy Paul has handled this issue with transparency and open communication, initially meeting with the LSU student, his mother and attorney to discuss their complaint. The investigative process has concluded with BRPD and more details will be released by the department soon. The body cam video will show the complexities of the incident and the importance of open dialogue between the police department and the community after such an occurrence. The video will be available to the public as soon as possible in compliance with normal release procedures. We should not be so quick to disregard the experiences of our citizens and their interactions with law enforcement, nor should we be inflexible in our views of these incidents. Closing the gap between law enforcement and the community, along with building a 21st Century Police Department means being intentional in our efforts to address public concerns, making appropriate policy changes when needed, and investing in our officers for their safety and well-being.
Sharon Weston Broome, Mayor-President of East Baton Rouge Parish
Chris Stewart with the Louisiana Law Enforcement Association called for the video’s immediate release. In a statement he said:
We are pleased with the decision that the Chief made in this matter. We also want the body camera footage released to the media immediately. Koy Moore should be treated as any other student athlete that has committed an egregious honor and integrity violation. We will not attempt to dictate policy to any other entity, but it would be disappointing for no action to be taken. Accountability for actions of all individuals in a situation like this are important moving forward.”
Chris Stewart, Louisiana Law Enforcement Association
Moore’s attorney blasted the police department saying the incident makes it that we should expect more from officers, calling the investigation a closed-door disciplinary decision.
“The BRPD’s interaction with Koy Moore and his friend the night of Nov. 8 is clear evidence that we should expect more from the officers who are supposed to protect all citizens. Unfortunately for Koy, his first-ever encounter with police fell well outside of the conduct expected from police officers. When misconduct and policy violations occur, accountability and discipline must follow. The closed-door disciplinary decisions by the BRPD is a warning sign that the outcome of this situation will do little to change officer behavior that must change.
These are the facts.
Three Baton Rouge police officers in the early morning hours of Nov. 8 approached Moore aggressively. The body cam videos prove it.
At approximately 1:50 a.m. that morning, Koy and his friend decided to grab a bite to eat, just like so many college students on campuses across the country are known to do. They left their LSU campus apartment and walked to the adjoining parking garage to get to his friend’s vehicle. Koy was unarmed and possessed no drugs.
While walking to their vehicle in the parking garage, BRPD Officer Brian Spitzer abruptly stopped his patrol car and aggressively approached the pair. This encounter quickly escalated when the initiating officer drew his weapon and held these college students at gunpoint.
The interaction grew more intense when BRPD Officers Carboni and Bouraique blindly followed the lead of the initiating officer by also drawing their deadly weapons on these two unarmed college students and cursing both young men. Koy’s plea to be treated with respect was ignored. These officers searched Koy during this encounter in pursuit of a weapon and/or drugs. Nothing was found.
These BRPD officers displayed an utter lack of professionalism or understanding toward two college students. Both young men remained completely unaware of why they were being stopped and harassed. The officers provided no explanation.
This assault was unwarranted, unjustified and was overly aggressive. There are some that want to celebrate a victory for these police officers. Their words do nothing to change the facts of how these officers acted. This encounter was noticeably omitted from the police report from that night, despite the fact that guns were pulled, and people were held at gunpoint. If the officers felt they committed no wrongdoing, why didn’t they put what happened in their report? Had Koy not shared his experience via social media, this encounter would have certainly gone unacknowledged.
Yesterday’s BRPD Internal Affairs hearing was a closed hearing between the police officers, their teams of attorneys and their chief of police. Koy was not invited to attend the hearing, nor were his attorneys. Most concerning is that another police officer was the person who decided whether the officers should be disciplined or not. Basically, the BRPD officers scored a touchdown during practice when there was no defense on the field.
Despite having all of these advantages, two officers were disciplined. Officer Brian Spitzer sustained multiple policy violations including Conduct Unbecoming of a Police Officer and Failure to Write a Report. Spitzer was disciplined such that a Letter of Reprimand is now attached to his file, and he has been ordered to undergo mandatory procedural justice training, as well as mandatory de-escalation training. In like manner, the second Officer involved also sustained a policy violation of exhibiting Conduct Unbecoming of a Police Officer and will receive a Letter of Reprimand.
Koy Moore, who was recognized as LSU’s Student Academic Athlete of the Month (Feb. 2021), fully stands by his Twitter and Instagram posts. The officers acted improperly, and the police’s own internal investigation found as such.”
Mark Glago and Jatavian Williams, Koy Moore’s attorneys
While many want the footage to be released, when, or if, that will happen is unclear.
