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4 from BRPD's Street Crimes Unit plead not guilty to obstruction and malfeasance charges
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BATON ROUGE — Four members of the defunct Baton Rouge Police Department's Street Crimes Unit waived their formal arraignment on obstruction of justice and malfeasance charges Thursday and pleaded not guilty.
The four were accused in the 19th Judicial District Court on a complaint that they were involved in beating, tasing, and strip-searching a man in 2020. The case came to light after revelations about the "BRAVE Cave," a building where investigators believe that police would interrogate and strip-search people who were not under arrest.
Hearings were set for the four for Oct. 1-2.
Doug Chutz, Troy Lawrence Sr., and Todd Thomas were indicted on charges of obstruction and malfeasance in office. Martele Jackson, identified as a whistleblower, is accused of malfeasance. The grand jury opted against charges for a fifth officer.
The investigation began a year ago with word that, on Sept. 28, 2020, the Street Crimes Unit took a suspect to a precinct on Plank Road to be strip-searched. Documents indicated the suspect was stripped naked and beaten for not complying.
The charges handed up included:
-Doug Chutz: two counts malfeasance in office, one count of obstruction of justice, one count of criminal conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice;
-Martele Jackson: one count malfeasance in office, one count obstruction of justice;
-Troy Lawrence Sr.: four counts malfeasance in office, one count of criminal conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice; and
-Todd Thomas: three counts malfeasance in office, one count of obstruction of justice, two counts of criminal conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice.
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