Protestors target police department

By: CARISSA HEBERT

Managing Editor

Chanting and carrying signs stating “Stop Snitches,” “Fight for your Rights,” “Stop Bad Cops,” Stop Bad Chief,” and “No Justice, No Peace,” 24 people gathered in front of the flag pole outside the Ville Platte Police Department Tuesday afternoon, May 13.

The group parked on the west side of the police department and proceeded to travel around city hall to the flag pole. When they left, they took the same route.

Assistant Chief Kevin McDaniel approached the group to ask if they had secured a permit for this march, and he was informed this was a peaceful gathering. The City of Ville Platte’s ordinance states a permit must be secured by anyone who holds a parade, march, ceremony, show, exhibition, pageant or procession of any kind or any similar display upon any street, park or other public place in the city. The procession appeared to be a march as the group went around city hall carrying signs and then stopping at the department’s flag pole to protest the actions of the department.

Members of the group video’d the department as well as an infraction. They said a police officer’s car was parked in a handicapped zone, and the officer needed to be charged.

During the gathering, several members of the group came forward to protest alleged police brutality and how the justice system was failing them.

Members of Black Man Seven, NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) and CCCJJ (Concerned Citizens for Change in Juvenile Justice) spoke on how officers were racially profiling, manufacturing charges against people and searching without warrants.

King Downing, an attorney with the National ACLU office, said 60 percent of charges were being manufactured, and because people could not afford attorneys, circumstances like this corruption in Ville Platte were occurring. He said this group had a right to a peaceful assembly.

Arthur Sampson had some harsh words for the chief of police, whom he said he had supported in the previous election. “He looks like us, but he doesn’t act like us.” He said he supported the chief despite knowing he didn’t live in the City of Ville Platte, and so did the district attorney and others. He said they were allowing Chief Neal Lartigue to remain in office under this violation. (Lartigue does have a residence in Ville Platte.)

Sampson also claimed officers were arresting people and charging them with intent to distribute because the charges were more serious than simple possession. He said people were scared in Ville Platte and it was wrong.

George Fisher, president of Black Man Seven, asked the crowd whose streets were these and who paid the department’s salaries.

“One of these cops are going to die,” a man said, who was later identified as Ricky Joseph. “We are not threatening them, but we are fed up with being treated wrongly.”

Takuna Maulana El Shabazz, CCCJJ, said Ville Platte was like Jena, Lafayette, Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Philadelphia in regards to police departments and corruption. He said if anything was going to change in Ville Platte, it was going to have come from this group. He said they needed to stand up for their rights.

Angela Coutee said her brother was in jail for a crime he didn’t commit. She accused the district attorney of having new evidence but failing to release her brother, Greg. She asked for justice in her brother’s case.

After viewing the gathering, Paul Harrison, a city worker, said Lartigue was doing a good job. He said Lartigue was successful in attacking narcotics on the street and now it was time to stop it on the corners. “He’s doing a good job of keeping drug dealers off the streets.”

After the march, Downing said success was measured by the stories he had heard. He said a lot of similar problems existed in several locations and they were working on gathering stats. He said for them, stories were part of those stats. “We’re here to support the coalition for justice in any way we can,” he said.

In response to these accusations, Lartigue offered this comment: “My department is doing no wrong. I was elected by the majority of the people and I am not resigning. I will continue to do the job I was elected to do by the people. If anyone has any complaints, they are more than welcome to come in and file a complaint.”