Louisiana Voice

Louis Ackal just can’t seem to get it right, though he does seem to get his kicks from having deputies rough up black prisoners and attacking them with vicious DOGS.

Oh, he prevailed in his federal trial on charges of civil rights violations while throwing a few deputies under the bus a couple of years back but the bad news just seems to keep coming out of his office in New Iberia.

Last week, The Advocate newspapers and Lafayette TV station KTAC failed in their effort to UNSEAL THE SETTLEMENT AMOUNT between Ackal’s Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office and the family of a man who died of a gunshot wound in March 2014 while in the custody of sheriff’s deputies.

The settlement stemmed from a lawsuit against the sheriff’s office following the death of Victor White III, who was shot in the chest while seated in an IPSO patrol car—with his hands cuffed behind his back. The coroner ruled that the gunshot wound was self-inflicted after deputies claimed that White had somehow managed to get his hands on a gun and to shoot himself.

Ackal personally was not opposed to the release of the settlement amount, but the decision by U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick Hanna nevertheless did nothing to mitigate the cold hard numbers that show Ackal’s office has paid out about $3 million in settlements and judgments during his 10-year tenure—a rate of $25,000 for every month he has been in office.

Though sealed, the settlement amount in the White case is believed to be in the range of $600,000.

Nor did Judge Hanna’s ruling do anything to soften the image of Ackal—real or perceived—as a man to be feared by the Iberia Parish African-American community, especially in light of last week’s RESIGNATION of a New Iberia city police officer after video of him slamming a black prisoner was made public.

The officer, James Andrews, was an Iberia Parish sheriff’s deputy at the time the video was taken on August 5, 2017. New Iberia Mayor Freddie DeCourt said he was unaware of the existence of the video until August of this year, a year after the incident.

A Lafayette television station, KADN aired a partial VIDEO of the incident but redacted the face of the unidentified man who was arrested for simple possession of marijuana. There is no audio with the aired clip.

LouisianaVoice, however, obtained an unedited video of the ENCOUNTER, complete with audio. During the exchange between Andrews and the prisoner, Andrews slapped a cup from the prisoner’s hands and then physically attacked him by grabbing him by the throat, forcing him to a sitting position.

Andrews accused him of resisting even though the man, while failing to immediately comply with the order to sit, was never aggressive nor did he actually resist Andrews. The deputy can be heard telling the man, “I gave you five warnings to sit down,” but can actually be heard only twice telling him to sit—with virtually no time to comply after the second command before attacking the prisoner.

At least two other deputies were present during the entire altercation, one of whom appears to be an undercover officer. It was not clear who was taking the video but because Andrews and the prisoner were followed down a corridor and into a booking room, it would appear it was taken by a body cam worn by a law enforcement officer, possibly another deputy.

When the man complained that he’d been choked, Andrews responded, “Damn right. I sat you down by force.” When asked his name, he said, “James Andrews. I’d love to go to court today.”

The man was also booked for resisting arrest following the attack by Andrews though there was never a time when he appeared to pose a threat to officers.

By resigning prior to any disciplinary action being taken, Andrews theoretically could obtain employment with another law enforcement agency unless his police commission is revoked.