Baton Rouge, Louisiana police officers are being investigated for excessive force after video surfaced of them beating a Black teen during his arrest Sunday.
Baton Rouge teen Ja’Colby Davis was attending a local Earth Day event on Sunday before being approached by numerous officers. According to reports from The Rouge Collection, police were responding to a fight at the event. Ja’Colby and his 14-year-old brother were near the fight but were not involved. Officers began to grab Ja’Colby to get him away from the altercation. However, things only got worse when Ja’Colby asked officers why they were being rough with him.
The now viral video shows that Ja’Colby is on the ground with cops on his back. Other officers are repeatedly punching the young man in the face. Within seconds, five or more officers surround the young man. There is inaudible yelling in the background that may be coming from onlookers.
“I feel like this shouldn’t happen to anyone’s child,” Ja’Colby’s mother, Danielle Todd, told The Rouge Collection. “No parent should have to see a video of police officers beating their child for asking a question.”
As the video began to make the rounds on social media, the Baton Rouge Police Department responded in a written statement. According to spokesperson Sgt. Don Coppola:
“While we cannot speak yet to the context in which this incident occurred, we can assure you that we are treating the situation with the utmost care and concern as we initiate an Internal Affairs Investigation.”
Since Sunday’s incident, Ja’Colby has been charged with battery and resisting a police officer.
