Ex-Louisiana cop federally indicted for beating Black man with flashlight

Biba Adams
·3 min read

Jacob Brown’s body camera showed him hitting Aaron Bowman repeatedly as the man yelled, “I’m not resisting!”

A former Louisiana State Police trooper has been hit with federal charges after allegedly beating a Black man with a flashlight.

Charges against 31-year-old Jacob Brown were announced by the U.S. Department of Justice Thursday in a press release.

According to reports, Louisiana state trooper Jacob Brown (left), who was indicted for assaulting Aaron Larry Bowman (right), had amassed 23 use-of-force incidents dating to 2015 — 19 of them targeting Blacks — before he resigned in March. (Photos: Ouachita Correctional Center)
According to reports, Louisiana state trooper Jacob Brown (left), who was indicted for assaulting Aaron Larry Bowman (right), had amassed 23 use-of-force incidents dating to 2015 — 19 of them targeting Blacks — before he resigned in March. (Photos: Ouachita Correctional Center)

The indictment by a federal grand jury in Shreveport, Louisiana charges Brown with a single count of deprivation of rights under color of law. The DOJ alleges that Brown assaulted Aaron Larry Bowman, 46 — identified in the indictment only as A.B. — on May 30, 2019. Brown allegedly repeatedly struck the man in the head and body with a dangerous weapon — in this case, a flashlight modified with a metal tactical cap designed for breaking glass.

“The indictment further alleges that the incident resulted in bodily injury to A.B.,” the release says.

A conviction on the charge of deprivation of rights could result in a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for Brown, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.

The DOJ maintains that further criminal investigations into the Louisiana State Police for incidents resulting in the death of or bodily injury to arrestees are ongoing.

On the May 2019 date, Brown was caught on his body-worn camera beating Bowman with the flashlight. As previously reported, Bowman can be heard screaming, “I’m not resisting! I’m not resisting!” as the officer pummels him. The incident left him with a broken jaw, three broken ribs, a broken wrist and a gash to his head that required six staples to close.

In a statement to CNN, Bowman’s attorney Ron Haley wrote, “We are pleased that the two-year battle to hold (Louisiana State Police) accountable for what happened to Aaron has taken a step in the right direction.”

“Two years for such an obvious display of abuse should not have taken this long,” he told the network, “but justice is never too late.”

The attack on Bowman wasn’t probed by state authorities until 536 days after the encounter — despite it being captured on Brown’s body camera — and they launched the investigation weeks after Bowman filed a civil suit. According to reports, police records show Brown had amassed 23 use-of-force incidents dating to 2015 — 19 of them targeting Blacks — before he resigned in March.

Brown also faces state charges, including aggravated second-degree battery and malfeasance in office.

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