Former Louisiana State Police officer indicted on federal charge for allegedly beating a Black man with a flashlight

By Christina Carrega, CNN

The US Justice Department on Thursday announced that a federal grand jury indicted a former Louisiana State Police officer for allegedly using excessive force with a flashlight against a Black motorist, the department said in a news release.

Jacob Brown, 31, has been charged with a single count of deprivation of rights under color of law for allegedly beating the man, Aaron Larry Bowman on May 30, 2019, during a traffic stop. The Justice Department identified the victim in the case as AB, but Bowman’s attorney confirmed the victim was Bowman.

The incident was captured on Brown’s body-worn camera, which CNN obtained from Bowman’s attorneys. The Justice Department said in a news release Brown repeatedly struck Bowman in the head and body with a flashlight modified with a metal tactical cap designed for breaking glass, resulting in bodily injury.

If convicted on the federal charge, Brown, who has since been fired from his job, faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000, the release said.

CNN has reached out to Louisiana State Police and Brown’s attorney for comment.

Brown also faced state charges of aggravated second-degree battery and malfeasance in office, though state prosecutors have said their case was on hold while federal authorities conducted their own investigation into Brown’s actions.

“We are pleased that the two year battle to hold (Louisiana State Police) accountable for what happened to Aaron has taken a step in the right direction,” Ron Haley, an attorney for Bowman’s family, told CNN. “Two years for such an obvious display of abuse should not have taken this long but justice is never too late.”

In its statement Thursday, the Justice Department highlighted the fact it “has previously acknowledged that it has open and ongoing criminal investigations into incidents involving the Louisiana State Police that resulted in death or bodily injury to arrestees,” adding, “Those investigations remain ongoing.”

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CNN’s Nick Valencia and Dakin Andone contributed to this report.