MANSFIELD, La. (AP) — A six-minute strip search unfolded in a Louisiana jail, ending with Jarius Brown suffering severe facial injuries, including a broken nose and a fractured eye socket.
Previously undisclosed footage shows two DeSoto Parish sheriff's deputies violently assaulting the 25-year-old, as they threw him around the detention center's laundry room, landing over 50 punches.
Although a sheriff’s office review condemned the deputies’ actions, stating there was no way of defending them, Louisiana State Police controversially cleared the officers of wrongdoing months later, declaring Brown the aggressor after his car theft arrest.
This investigation took over a year, during which federal prosecutors intervened, ultimately finding that Brown was a victim of excessive police force.
The graphic video surfaced this month during Brown’s ongoing lawsuit for damages related to his injuries. Now 32, Brown has opted not to comment publicly through his legal team.
Former district attorney Gary Evans remarked that this situation reveals a troubling pattern of law enforcement misconduct in smaller communities, compounded by a retreat in federal civil rights enforcement under previous administrations.
“This was a great miscarriage of justice at the state level. It shows the system’s failure to protect citizens,” Evans stated. “In a community like this, the federal government is the only avenue for anything to be done.”
Brown’s case is not unique; it reflects a disturbing trend in DeSoto Parish, where there have been numerous police misconduct revelations. Just a month before Brown's incident, a deputy was charged after violently assaulting a man, and another deputy faced severe criminal charges.
Despite the disturbing video evidence, state agency claims suggested there was insufficient evidence to pursue criminal charges against the deputies involved.
Following a lengthy investigation, a former deputy admitted to using excessive force and was sentenced to prison, while another deputy, who obstructed justice, served a shorter sentence.
Experts in the field of police conduct voiced their disbelief regarding the state police's findings, agreeing that Brown did not provoke the brutal actions taken against him. Many insisted that the conduct was entirely unwarranted.
The video reveals Brown's calm demeanor entering the laundry room, where the deputies later escalated the situation into violence merely because he didn’t comply with their directives during the search.
After the event, neither deputy sought medical assistance for Brown, but the detention center's warden ensured he received necessary medical care.
“Any objective observer would find this was clearly excessive,” noted Charles “Joe” Key, a former Baltimore police lieutenant.
In light of the federal findings, civil rights advocates and legal representatives continue to push for justice on Brown’s behalf, emphasizing the need to hold offenders accountable and address systemic issues within law enforcement agencies.
“Jarius Brown survived a horrific beating. He is entitled to justice,” declared his attorney, who also highlighted the mental health ramifications of the incident.
Brown’s father recounted how the traumatic experience worsened his son's mental health conditions, leading to persistent anxiety and fear of physical harm even from strangers.
