In a recent development, a beleaguered Louisiana police department is facing yet another lawsuit.
This time, it's a second legal action claiming that officers from a street crime unit took detainees to a mysterious place known as the "Brave Cave," where they endured mistreatment, humiliation, and invasive body searches.
The most recent lawsuit was filed by Ternell Brown, a 47-year-old grandmother from Baton Rouge.
Brown recounted her distressing experience of being transported to what she described as a "torture warehouse" after officers pulled her over for a routine traffic stop and discovered legal prescription medication in her car.
She alleges that she was subjected to a degrading search, during which officers insisted on checking her vagina and rectum. Astonishingly, after more than two hours of this ordeal, they released her without pressing any charges.
Brown's lawsuit targets not only the Baton Rouge Police Department but also the city and parish of Baton Rouge, as well as several individual officers.
This legal action comes on the heels of a similar case brought by Jeremy Lee, who claimed he was taken to the "Brave Cave" in January and brutally assaulted by the officers.
The street crime unit, known as BRAVE (short for Baton Rouge Area Violence Elimination), was disbanded following Lee's lawsuit. His case included a disturbing body camera image showing him perched on a chair in what appeared to be an almost empty warehouse.
Thomas Frampton, the attorney representing both Lee and Brown, describes the "Brave Cave" as an unmarked interrogation facility where Baton Rouge residents have allegedly been taken for years, enduring strip searches and, at times, physical abuse.
Frampton notes that the officers involved have a notorious reputation for brutality within the Baton Rouge community.
Lee's injuries were so severe that the local jail refused to admit him until he received treatment at a nearby hospital. He underwent treatment for broken bones and other injuries sustained during the incident.
Troy Lawrence Jr., the officer responsible for Lee's arrest, has been cited for a lengthy history of injuring members of the public, disregarding their constitutional rights, and escalating routine encounters into hostile and even violent confrontations.
Notably, Lawrence Jr. is the son of Baton Rouge Deputy Police Chief Troy Lawrence Sr., who himself is implicated in Brown's complaint. In August, Lawrence Jr. resigned from the police force.
Efforts to reach Lawrence Jr. for comment have been unsuccessful, and his father declined to connect him with the media at this time.
The former officer's comments from four years ago during a FOX interview have resurfaced, where he acknowledged the aggressive nature of the BRAVE unit when dealing with guns and drugs in a major city.
Frampton asserts that this case transcends individual officers and speaks to a more profound institutional problem of police misconduct. He believes that responsibility for these actions extends to the highest levels of the department and has persisted for years.
Furthermore, Frampton disclosed that he has been in contact with other alleged victims of the "Brave Cave" who are planning to file their own lawsuits.
It appears that more revelations are forthcoming.
In response to the mounting allegations, Baton Rouge Police Chief Murphy Paul Jr. has requested a federal investigation, and his department is cooperating with the FBI. Any inquiries regarding the Brown lawsuit have been directed to the city, which has yet to issue a response.
Paul had previously acknowledged the existence of an internal investigation and revealed that the "Brave Cave" was a narcotics processing facility owned by the Baton Rouge Parish. He had been unaware of its use for detainee searches until Lee's lawsuit came to light.
Admitting to an error in handling the situation, Paul stated, "I've got to own that."
Regarding the possibility of an investigation, Lesley Hill, a spokesperson for the FBI office in New Orleans, stated that they are "aware of the allegations" but adhered to Department of Justice guidelines of neither confirming nor denying investigations.
Meanwhile in Philadelphia, a police officer finds himself back behind bars due to the cancellation of his bail after prosecutors questioned the legality of his release. See detailed story here
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