Video circulating online shows a plainclothes Jefferson Parish, La. sheriff’s deputy punching a 17-year-old student-athlete in the face repeatedly during an arrest attempt.
The video, filmed Feb. 13 at a mall parking garage in Metairie, shows detective Nick Breaux attempting to restrain Brady Becker, a student at St. Charles Catholic in LaPlace, a town 30 miles west of New Orleans.
With Breaux on top of him, Becker can be seen using his hands to either grapple with the officer or keep him at bay. Breaux, a seven-year veteran of the force, is then seen punching the teen in the head several times with his right hand.
A group of girls in the background of the video can be heard screaming for Breaux to stop throwing blows.
“Back the fuck up!” Breaux yelled back at the screaming girls.
According to WVUE, police were in the area to monitor a Mardis Gras parade. Becker was part of a group of teenagers who got into a verbal altercation with police, it was claimed. The other teens scattered following a scuffle of some sort, but Becker stayed behind and was arrested.
Becker was treated at the hospital for an eye injury he sustained during the beating. He was later booked into jail and charged with possession of alcohol by a minor, resisting arrest, battery on a police officer and inciting to riot, WVUE reported.
A spokesman for the Jefferson Parish sheriff’s office said that they incident is being investigated. They also encouraged Becker’s family to file a complaint.
“The matter has been brought to our attention,” Col. John Fortunato told WVUE. “We encouraged the family to file a complaint with internal affairs. It will be investigated fully.”
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