VILE

Graphic Vid Shows Louisiana Trooper Bashing Black Man With Flashlight During Traffic Stop

The officer, Jacob Brown, was eventually charged with second-degree battery and malfeasance.

A harrowing video shows a Louisiana state trooper beating a Black motorist 18 times with a flashlight during a traffic stop, even as the man promised to comply. The May 2019 video was kept hidden for more than two years before being obtained by the Associated Press. “I’m not resisting! I’m not resisting!” Aaron Larry Bowman yelled to officer Jacob Brown, who pummeled him for 24 seconds. The incident left Bowman with a broken wrist, jaw, and ribs, and a head wound that needed six stitches. The incident was disclosed in a federal investigation into the Louisiana State Police department following the 2019 death of Ronald Greene, who was also killed in a police altercation. The state also launched an investigation into the incident last year, though not before Bowman filed a civil lawsuit.

Brown, who resigned in March, arrived at the traffic stop after Bowman was removed from his car because he “was in the area and was trying to get involved,” according to testimony he gave to investigators. The department said Brown engaged in “excessive and unjustifiable actions,” and he was later charged with second-degree battery and malfeasance for attacking Bowman. He also faces state charges for violently arresting two other Black motorists.