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After a video leaked showing two police officers roughing up a middle school student and slamming him to the ground at a Louisiana school, the cops were charged with misdemeanors.
Police Officer Anthony “Kip” Dupre was caught on video on Oct. 5 assaulting a 14-year-old student at Brusly Middle School, putting him in a headlock and slamming him to the ground. The Louisiana State Police started investigating the use of force by Dupre and a second officer.
Dupre contends that the student grabbed for his weapon as they fought. The leaked video tells a different story: the officer can be seen handing his holstered weapon to a school employee in the school’s administrative office before assaulting the unarmed student.
The video was sent to WAFB station by an anonymous source.
The officers resigned per the police chief’s request and were charged with misdemeanors.
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A grand jury in West Baton Rouge Parish indicted former officer Dan Cipriano on simple battery, according to CBS affiliate WAFB-TV, and Kip Dupre is charged with malfeasance in office.
The student’s family believe the officers should face harsher charges after such a violent assault.
“They feel the DA’s office did an adequate job by bringing it quickly to the people but feel it was a slap on the wrist based on the tape and what they saw done to their grandson,” the student’s attorney, Kwame Asante, said.
The teen’s grandmother told CBS News that while the incident left her grandson with bruises on his face and a cut on his chin, she’s more concerned about the psychological impact.
“Since the incident, he went in the hospital with more trauma,” she told WAFB-TV.
“This young man will still be dealing with this for a long time,” Asante said.