Plaquemines Parish deputies seen repeatedly kicking 12-year-old suspect
By: Newly released video shows what appears to be Plaquemines deputies repeatedly kicking a 12-year-old suspect after a high-speed chase.
The juvenile faces multiple charges including reckless driving and resisting arrest.
Now the family is calling for action against the sheriff’s office after releasing the edited video to Fox 8.
The incident in question was first reported by the Plaquemines sheriff’s office on February 19.
They say they apprehended two suspects following a high-speed chase with several ATVs that started along l-406 and then proceeded north to the parish line along Highway 23. The sheriff’s office says the chase involved four 4-wheelers and one off-road dirt bike.
They say the suspects repeatedly ignored traffic laws which resulted in at least one head-on collision near the Belle Chase Tunnel and also disregarded all of the deputies’ commands to stop.
Edited dashcam video was given to FOX 8 by the attorney of one of the suspects, an unidentified 12-year-old boy.
The video shows what appears to be the minor on a motorbike, going to the side of the road before being pulled off and kicked multiple times by another deputy.
The sheriff’s office released a statement, claiming the 12-year-old was taller than most deputies on the scene, was wearing a helmet covering his face, and refused reasonable demands to get off of the dirt bike which led to the physical struggle.
The minor was charged with two felonies and two misdemeanors including resisting arrest and traffic violations.
The attorney representing the boy, Ryan Thompson, claims his client was not resisting and deputies on the scene violated his constitutional rights, and that he also received a concussion and a fractured left tibia.
The 12-year-old claims he was not given clear instructions by deputies before he was physically apprehended.
“I’m looking back. I’m like... is he trying to make us get out the area? Is he chasing somebody else? I’m trying to figure out... Is he trying to pursue me?” said the boy. “But when I figured out that he was actually trying to pursue me, that’s when the cop came in front of me and cut me off. And that’s why I swerved over to the left side or the right side by the train tracks. I turned the bike off and then he came out the car and pulled me off the bike.”
The sheriff’s office responded to the claims by the boys’ attorney, saying in part:
“It is clear these allegations are an attempt to present edited, contextualized content to inflame the public’s perception from the facts of these incidents,” a statement read. “All the facts of these cases will be presented in a court of law and we are confident the truth will be presented and justice will be served in both cases.”
Officials went on to say the Plaquemines sheriff’s office has reviewed all the actions of the deputies that responded to the incident and determined all deputies performed their duties using only the force necessary to subdue the suspects.