Three Louisiana cops have been removed from duty after video surfaced of them beating a Black 16-year-old during an arrest at a bowling alley.
The Saturday night incident took place outside Acadiana Lanes in Lafayette, shortly after police responded to a call about someone close by with a gun. The officers approached twin brothers Jabari and Gerard Celestine around 11:30 pm while they were standing outside the bowling alley waiting to enter.
Their attorney Ron Haley Jr. said that one of the officers, who has not been identified, began to read Jabari his rights before placing him in handcuffs, seemingly without explanation. Gerald then approached the officers, who were then seen on bystander footage tackling him to the ground. In a second video, two officers can be seen restraining Gerald while a third punches him in the back before handcuffing him as onlookers pleaded with the cops to stop the unjust attack. The camera then pans over to the police vehicle, where Jabari is seen lying handcuffed on the ground. Police did not find any weapons on either of the brothers.
Just to make y’all aware. This happened tonight at Acadiana lanes pic.twitter.com/gWchTgemdB
— Jax (@City87Jax) September 6, 2020
Footage of Gerard’s arrest sparked protests in Louisiana and swept across social media.
During a news conference held in front of the Lafayette Police Department headquarters Monday, Haley slammed the officers for the excessive force and wrongful arrests.
“They’re boys. They’re not threats. They are children. They are children morally, and they are children in the eyes of the law, and they should be protected as such.”
One of the officers involved has been placed on administrative leave while the other two have been removed from active duty. However, it remains unclear if the suspended officer is still being paid.
While Jabari was released Sunday without any charges, Gerard, on the other hand, was charged with resisting arrest, interfering with an arrest, and battery of an officer.
“We want the 9-1-1 call in which one of the boys allegedly fit the description of someone who committed a crime. What was that description? What was he actually doing? Was that call actually made?” Haley questioned during the press conference.
The incident is under investigation.
