Statement released from the Morgan City Police Department:
On September 06, 2023, I, Chief Chad M Adams, ordered an Internal Investigation to commence in response to a video that surfaced via social media from September 03, 2023, in a parking lot located at 6383 Highway 182 in Morgan City, LA involving officers of the Morgan City Police Department.
Upon the commencement of the investigation, the Internal investigators reviewed body cameras, and surveillance video that shows many different angles and perspectives of the incident on September 03, 2023.
During the early morning of September 03, 2023, a large party was being held at the Patterson Civic Center in Patterson, LA. There were two deputies with the St. Mary Sheriff’s Office working off-duty security at this event. At some point, several fights began to break out and the crowd became so unruly that a request for assistance was sent to multiple agencies. Deputies with the St. Mary Sheriff’s Office along with officers from Patterson Police Department, Berwick Police Department, and Morgan City Police Department responded to the call to assist in dispersing the unruly crowd. Eventually, the crowd dispersed, and the event ended an hour earlier than scheduled. This crowd was described by many involved as being unruly, intoxicated, and hostile towards Law Enforcement.
After the large crowd at the Patterson Civic Center disbursement, some individuals involved in the disturbance traveled to a local eatery in Morgan City. This was Labor Day Weekend, and this same eatery was at full capacity. Officers were already at this location dealing with a complaint when a large number of individuals began to arrive from the party in Patterson, LA.
A short time later the Morgan City Police Department received a complaint of a large unruly crowd in the gas station parking lot next to the eatery. The attendant advised they had locked the doors to the gas station to conduct an inventory. The caller stated individuals in the crowd were banging and throwing things at the windows of the business which they believed to be an attempt to gain entry into the business.
Upon officers from the Morgan City Police Department arriving on scene, they requested assistance from the St. Mary Sheriff’s Office and Berwick Police Department due to the size of the crowd.
All law enforcement agencies on the scene attempted to disperse the unruly crowd to no prevail. Morgan City Police Department made the first arrest of an individual who refused to leave and was causing a disturbance. That officer was encircled by the crowd. Officers had to then draw their tasers as an act of force against the agitated crowd to get them to back up. After this arrest, officers continually attempted to have the crowd leave the closed business parking lot. During this time a physical altercation took place between two females. As officers attempted to arrest the individuals involved the crowd once again encircled the officers and attempted to pull a female away from officers who were attempting to handcuff her.
This is where the short, edited video on social media starts. An officer directs a fellow officer from Morgan City Police Department to “go get her” meaning to go arrest her. The reasoning was she was physically interfering with an officer attempting to detain one of the females involved in the fight.
At this point, the officer detains this female and begins handcuffing her. At this same time, another female begins pulling the detained female away from the officer. This female was leaning backward pulling on the detained female at which time an officer moved in to assist by delivering an open hand strike/push. A large crowd not depicted on the short edited social media post begins encircling the officers. The officers had their Tasers pointed at the crowd to move back. The crowd continues to move toward officers who are now backed up against a fuel pump. The officers wisely switched from his Taser due to the flammable combustible hazard surrounding them and moved to O.C. spray which is not a combustible hazard such as the Taser. The officer disperses the O.C. spray at the advancing crowd. The crowd finally begins to disperse from the parking lot. Officers opted to allow the crowd to disperse rather than make further arrests, this decision was made so the situation could de-escalate rather than escalate the situation.
After a lengthy internal investigation which included the review of surveillance cameras, body cameras, and witness statements, the Morgan City Police Department found that officers with the Morgan City Police Department did not violate any of the Morgan City Police Department’s Rules and Regulations. This case was also reviewed by two Use of Force Instructors which found the officers used the minimal amount of force in the Use of Force Continuum.
I, as the Chief of Police, have ordered Investigators with the Morgan City Police Department to conduct a criminal investigation into those individuals who interfered with officers attempting to make arrest during this September 03, 2023, incident. Upon the conclusion of the criminal investigation, Investigators will obtain arrest warrants for those individuals involved.