DATELINE: MINDEN, La. Officers were initially called out about a man “laid out by a roadway.” Five officers can be seen in the video struggling with the man, who family member have identified as Robby Bailey, while the young boy looks on from a short distance away. Family members say the child is the man’s grandchild, who has autism.
When officers arrived, they found the small child and a short time later, found the man lying in the bushes on someone’s property in front of a house. Officers claim the man was incoherent and possibly under the influence of some sort of substance. Family members claim the man was walking his grandson to school when he suffered a seizure and fell down. Family members go on to say the seizures cause him to become combative when he comes out of them because they make him disoriented.
Police Chief Chief Cropper said he’s looked at the videos and said Bailey did not have a seizure. He was eventually taken to the ER.
Chief Cropper says he has seen the videos of the incident that were shot by an onlooker and that one officer has been placed on administrative leave while the incident is being investigated. The officer placed on leave can be seen kicking Bailey in the video. The chief says the officer told him he believed his use of force was justified because the other four officers could not subdue the man. The officer says he kicked the man in a part of his body that wouldn’t do permanent damage: under his arm. The police chief reports the officer says he felt like his actions worked because the man stopped fighting and officers were then able to put him in handcuffs.
The Chief said the other cop that is seen punching Bailey, was trained to use “hand strikes” without “doing permanent damage.”
Bailey was charged with marijuana possession and may face resisting charges.
There’s another video that may be seen by clicking on the KSLA 12 link.
