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Broome weighs in following WBRZ reports of arrest of man on West Roosevelt Street
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BATON ROUGE — The mayor-president said Monday that, after a series of WBRZ reports on the May 21 arrest of a man in Old South Baton Rouge, she had reviewed body-camera video from the scene and that the city would "give answers to the public" as quickly as possible.
The Baton Rouge Police Department took more than two weeks to release video recorded by responding officers. The tapes released Friday showed officers responding to a ShotSpotter activation and finding Roderick Veal asleep in a car parked facing the opposite direction on West Roosevelt Street.
Police officers said they saw a gun near Veal and tried to get him out of the car to pat him down. Once he was out of the car, they found marijuana and methamphetamines inside.
After a Taser used on Veal malfunctioned, Veal refused to roll onto his stomach, the officers said. After he struggled away after being handcuffed halfway, an officer struck Veal once.
"As a result of the release of this footage, I personally viewed the incident and I have listened keenly to the sentiments of citizens who are concerned about the contents of the video," Broome said in a statement Monday. "I have met with Chief T.J. Morse and the investigatory process has begun. This investigation is subject to the timelines of the Police Bill of Rights. However, we will work to give answers to the public as soon as possible."
Veal was found to be carrying marijuana and methamphetamines.
Police said Veal had a criminal history that would have barred him from possessing a firearm.
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