Outcry over the altercation during last month's Sugar Cane Festival between residents of New Iberia's predominately black West End community and the Iberia Parish Sheriff's Office has resulted in the termination of one deputy.
Outcry over the altercation during last month's Sugar Cane Festival between residents of New Iberia's predominately black West End community and the Iberia Parish Sheriff's Office has resulted in the termination of one deputy.
The incident occurred on the Sunday marking the end of the Sugar Cane Festival, when IPSO deputies attempted to disband a street party in the West End. In attempting to clear the streets, one deputy took it to the next level, the results of which were caught on video and later posted on YouTube. In the video, an IPSO deputy is seen throwing a man to the ground in what appears an excessive use of force. That deputy also is alleged to have slammed a woman's head against a car for questioning his actions.
The Baton Rouge Advocate, on Thursday, reports that the deputy in question, whose name has yet been released, was terminated from the Sheriff's Office as a result of the altercation. According to the report, Sheriff Louis Ackal has requested an unnamed outside agency to investigate the matter and determine whether criminal charges should be pursued against the terminated deputy.
The incident has also caught the attention of the Rev. Raymond Brown - who has affiliations with the New Black Panther Party and the New Orleans civil rights group National Action Now. Brown staged a recent protest in the West End calling for justice against the terminated deputy and his fellow deputies who did nothing to stop the altercation.
As The IND first reported, this is neither the first such Sugar Cane Festival-related clash between the Sheriff's Office and residents of the West End, nor is it the first time the Rev. Brown has rallied a protest against the actions taken by local law enforcers against the area's black community.