Racist Louisiana Sheriff Cleared Of Civil Rights Abuse Charges
The racist Louisiana sheriff, Louis Ackal who covers up cop abuses against Black inmates has been acquitted by the court.
The justice system of America will continue to be in doubt so far as white criminals are usually made to escape punishment by some sadistic court rulings. Many who were present at the trial of Sheriff Louis Ackal were thrown into a state of shock when the court ruling was made. Despite testimonies against him, the court still found ways of dropping the charges. The racist Louisiana sheriff had his own deputies testify against him in court; further affirming the claims made by the prosecutors. How can such a person be vindicated by the court? Answers to this and more, read the facts we have put together from selected reliable sources.
ATLANTA BLACK STAR
In a shocking turn of events Friday afternoon, a Louisiana jury acquitted racist Louisiana Sheriff Louis Ackal of civil rights violations stemming from claims that he abused his power and tried to cover up numerous incidents of violence against African-American residents and inmates.
Several former narcotics detectives poured into a Shreveport courtroom last week to testify against their former boss — many of them admitting that abuse and excessive use of force was a regular part of their jobs. In fact, it was encouraged, Atlanta Black Star reports.
A former detective named James Comeaux testified that three drunken off-duty officers had beaten up two young Black men for fun; when Ackal learned of the incident, he chalked it up to a simple case of “n—– knockin.’ ” Another ex-officer testified that a supervisor pointed to a red stain on the floor next to suspect who was being questioned and said, “That’s from the last n—– I shot.”
“They were animals,” Comeaux, who pleaded guilty earlier this year to beating inmates and then lying about it, said of the narcotics team’s view of Black residents. “And they needed to be treated like animals.”
The department’s culture of racism and abuse was reportedly created, and oftentimes facilitated, by head honcho Ackal. One former detective even testified that the sheriff was sometimes present during incidents of violence — like the time he stood by as three deputies physically beat an inmate in the jail’s chapel following a contraband sweep. The chapel was chosen because there were no security cameras around.
Despite the damning testimonies, a jury still moved to clear Ackal of civil rights violations. Jurors delivered the stunning not-guilty verdict after just four hours of deliberation, according to The Advocate. The disgraced sheriff faced charges including conspiracy, deprivation of civil rights and other instances of misconduct stretching back to his first months in office in 2008.
“I’m elated,” Ackal said after the verdict, leaving the Shreveport courthouse with Geri Brown, president of the NAACP’s New Iberia chapter. “I thank the Lord almighty.”
“I’m not a crook and don’t intend to be one,” the sheriff added. “The prosecutors had the bad guys but they wanted my scalp.”
Ackal went on to state that the case only helped rid his department of “rogue” narcotics officers who were out to tarnish his name. He expressed joy at returning to Iberia Parish with a clean name and a “clean house.” Read more.
Racist Louisiana Sheriff Who Ordered Violence Against Black Residents, Inmates Cleared of Civil Rights Abuses https://t.co/cOlHbfNrEy
— Atlanta Black Star (@ATLBlackStar) November 7, 2016
NBC NEWS
The federal government’s case against Ackal, which unfolded this week in Louisiana’s Western District federal court, alleged that the sheriff ordered deputies to rough up his personal enemies and encouraged the assault of inmates and individuals in custody. He was also accused of covering up evidence. The testimony offered by deputies who say Ackal once protected them was dramatic.
In their opening statements, prosecutors painted a portrait of a law-enforcement agency run amok, accusing the three-term elected sheriff of witnessing and encouraging beatings and ordering the destruction of all his agency’s internal affairs records.
Ackal was charged with one count of conspiracy against rights, two counts of deprivation of rights, and one count of conspiracy to abuse and obstruct.
According to reporting by Richard Burgess of The Advocate, on the second day of testimony Jason Comeaux, who pleaded guilty to several charges including conspiracy and deprivation of rights, said he and other agents were protected by Ackal, and directed to use excessive force against residents of majority-black neighborhoods in an effort to “clear the streets.” He also said he and others were instructed by superiors to lie about incidents, including in depositions.
Comeaux testified that after officers got drunk at a party and decided to find people to beat up, they targeted two young black men on the street, aged 16 and 21. After their assault was discovered, Ackal “was mad because they got caught and there was a report written on it,” Comeaux said.
Federal prosecutor Joseph Jarzabek, in his opening statements, said that Ackal later deleted the report. Former deputy Wade Bergeron, who participated in the beatings, testified that when he told Ackal, “His remark was it sounds like a case of n****r knockin.'”
Sheriff Ackal denied the charges against him. His attorney, John McLindon, said in court that the case against Ackal relied on testimony by deputies who are still awaiting sentencing. He called it “paycheck prosecution,” according to The Advocate.
During three days of testimony prosecution witnesses described a law enforcement agency rife with racism and a jail plagued by violence. Officers referred to black residents as “animals,” according to testimony. Beatings were commonplace. According to the indictment, Comeaux told a personal enemy of a supervisor, who was shackled and punched by agents, to lick his own blood spatter off the wall. One deputy testified that a supervisor pointed to a stain on the floor next to an interrogation subject and said, “That’s from the last n****r I shot.” Read more.
This is another example of a white racist justified by the American judicial system. The racist Louisiana sheriff has had his way through the justice system. This is clear case of injustice in America. This system obviously encourages officers to commit crimes against Black people; knowing that they will be backed by the court. We must fight together against this racial injustice. It is simply not acceptable!
