The family of a black man shot dead in a motel room by a West Baton Rouge Sheriff’s deputy is requesting a Justice Department investigation of the incident. Attorney for the family of 38-year-old Josef Richardson, Ben Crump, says State Police are not being transparent about their investigation into the officer-involved shooting.
“They don’t even know the identity of the police officer who shot their loved one in the back of the head while he was in his underwear,” said Crump
Richardson, who was unarmed, was killed by a shot to the back of the neck in a motel room near Port Allen as deputies execute warrant. Crump says the only thing the officers recovered in the incident was about $300 in marijuana and 3 pills of methamphetamine.
“They executed this violent, dangerous, no-knock warrant for people who seem to have been using recreational marijuana,” said Crump.
Investigators have not released any information on why the deputy fired his weapon, or the identity of the deputy involved.
Crump says the family does not feel confident about the State Police’s investigation of the West Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office’s behavior.
“They have such a congenial, symbiotic relationship. How can you trust that there is going to be no collusion and that there will be due process,” said Crump.
Richardson was in the motel room with his girlfriend, who is facing drug charges.
