28 September 2023 , 18:39
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A police deputy chief has been put on leave a week after his son, also an officer in the department, was arrested in what's become known as the 'Brave Cave' case.
Troy Lawrence Senior has been put on administrative leave while the department investigates use of force claims against the Baton Rouge Police Department in Louisiana. It comes just a week after his son resigned and was arrested on a simple battery charge for allegedly tasing and handcuffing a suspect, according to a source close to the situation.
According to a lawsuit filed last month, the officer repeatedly turned off and muted his body camera during his interactions with the suspect who ended up hospitalised with broken bones and other injuries. The lawsuit alleges that inside the 'Brave Cave' warehouse officers punched and kicked the suspect as he screamed for help, ultimately the suspect was handed a criminal charge of resisting arrest.
The Baton Rouge Police Department (BRPD) is currently facing several lawsuits over the treatment of detainees. This includes treatment of those in a now-closed police warehouse which officers allegedly referred to as the "brave cave," according to complaints lodged against the department.
Multiple allegations have centered around the police warehouse referred to by officers as the 'Brave Cave' (WBRZ)An announcement was made by the FBI over the weekend that they are investigating the department after allegations that some of the officers employed there "abused their authority". The probe has been opened by the New Orleans FBI Field Office, the Civil Rights Division and the US Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Louisiana.
Baby boy has spent his life in hospital as doctors are 'scared' to discharge him
Investigators say they are "reviewing the matter for potential federal violations," according to the FBI New Orleans in a statement. They are also urging anyone with information on the case to contact them.
BRPD police chief reported the allegations of the 'Brave Case' to the FBI, according to a source familiar with the investigation. In a statement to ABC News, the BRPD said they are "committed to addressing these troubling accusations and have initiated administrative and criminal investigations."
Baton Rouge Police Chief Murphy Paul, who was hired to lead the agency in the wake of Sterling’s killing, said he was so concerned over the recent warehouse claims that he drove to the FBI’s New Orleans field division and asked them to review the allegations. He acknowledged that his internal affairs division initially failed to investigate.
"There were some mistakes made," he said. "I promise you we will get to the bottom of this."
According to a source close to the investigation, the BRPD chief went immediately to the FBI in August. In one case, a man alleges he was taken to the 'Brave Cave' warehouse and beaten so severely he required hospital care before being booked into jail.
A woman has also claimed she was strip-searched, with an officer using a flashlight to scan her body. Since the first complaint was filed in August, the city's mayor ordered the facility to be closed and the Baton Rouge Police Department also disbanded its street crimes unit.
The latest scandal adds to a list of corruption and misconduct allegations which have been plaguing the Baton Rouge Police Department. The department came under close scrutiny after the 2016 fatal police shooting of Alton Sterling, a 37-year-old Black man.
In 2021, a corruption probe into the department's narcotics division ended up with criminal charges and internal discipline against officers. They had been accused of stealing drugs from evidence and also lying on police reports.