A Caddo Parish grand jury indicts four Shreveport cops on negligent homicide charges linked to the April death of a mentally ill man, 44-year-old Tommie McGlothen Jr.
Officers arrested McGlothen April 5th and after McGlothen was handcuffed video revealed that he was severely beaten and tased, and left for 48 minutes without aid. Family attorney James Carter applauded the grand jury’s decision.
“The police officers by means of expert testimony failed to commit to proper procedure in addressing the health condition of Mr. McGlothen after they unmercifully beat him,” said Carter.
Video shows McGlothen, apparently handcuffed, on the ground resisting while officers beat him with a baton, kicked him, punched him, and tased him as he screams. After no longer moving the beating continues, and he is then stood upon his knees and kicked into the ground, lifted back up, and slammed into a squad car.
McGlothen was in an altercation with a homeowner when officers arrived, and Carter said police were well aware of his condition due to incidents from earlier that day.
“They decided to, even in light of his mental condition, to deal with him like he was some violent person that they did not have to deal with like that and it is just unfortunate,” said Carter.
A coroner’s report showed McGlothen had a broken nose, jaw, and heavily swollen face after the encounter. The report also came to the conclusion that McGlothen’s death was likely preventable, although not the direct result of the beating, but of “Excited Delirium”.
Carter said it’s unconscionable that police would beat Mr. McGlothen so severely, and then just leave him handcuffed in the back of a car.
“It is unbelievable, horrible, and it is an infraction on humanity by them allowing such a thing to happen,” said Carter.
Treona McCarter, Brian Ross, D’Marea Johnson, and James LeClare were also charged with malfeasance. A trial date has not been set.
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