Louisiana police issue statement regarding officers’ blackface pictures

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February 13, 2019

By Brianna Rhodes, thegrio.com

Former Baltimore police officer Bobby Berger, performing in blackface.

A Louisiana police department is the latest culprit tied to a blackface yearbook scandal this month. According to NBC News, an old photo has circulated revealing two white Baton Rouge officers, Lt. Don Stone and Capt. Frankie Caruso, wearing paint on their face and body appearing to be Black. The picture, which is over twenty-years-old, has caused the Baton Rouge Police Department much embarrassment and shame.

As a response to the controversy, the to the Baton Rouge Police Department issued an apology. The police department also made a poor excuse stating that picture was taken before the officers went undercover for a drug bust that took place in a predominantly Black neighborhood.

The police chief said in a statement the incident is no longer required to be investigated because it was taken a long time ago.“Today, we would not allow our officers to wear blackface in an official capacity under any circumstances,” the statement read. “We have policies in place to prevent our officers from engaging in this type of behavior both on and off-duty.”

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1 Comment

Sharrief Muhammad on February 14, 2019 at 12:01 PM

The Louisiana Police Department in fairness should reconsider it’s response to the pardoning of it’s racist Officers..
Wearing Blackface is an absolute proof of a racist ideology present in any Officer of the law and should be removed regardless of how long ago this proof surfaced. Simply on the grounds that such Officers show themselves unable to justify, fairly, or equally unable to enforce laws to a diverse group of other peoples rendering them unfit for the position..
Officers of the law should be held to the same standards as judges and Public Officials, whom if they were accused of the same, the demand for their resignation would be a public outcry in support of such removal. How can in fairness can a an Officer with Blackface in their past be expected to deal lawfully with people of color??

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