AP Wire

Ackal tells federal judge he needs to carry a gun

by The Associated Press

Court papers filed Monday say Iberia Sheriff Louis Ackal needs a gun because police are under attack.

Iberia Sheriff Louis Ackal, under indictment on federal civil rights charges, says the recent killings of police in Baton Rouge show that he needs to carry a gun.

Prosecutors have asked a federal district judge to forbid Ackal from possessing any weapons while he awaits trial on charges accusing him of telling guards to assault jail inmates.

Ackal already is prohibited from possessing a gun under the terms of his pre-trial release.

Judge Donald Walter has yet to rule on the motion, which also requests approval of unannounced inspections of Ackal's home, vehicle and office. It's based on recordings that prosecutors say caught Ackal making anti-Semitic threats against a federal prosecutor.

Court papers filed Monday say Ackal needs a gun because police are under attack.

His lawyers say it's "disingenuous" for prosecutors to release private statements "which may contain inflammatory language, and at the same time, seek to deny him the right to carry a firearm for protection."