CONTROVERSIAL FACEBOOK POST?- The incident of the Minneapolis man who died during an arrest has made headlines all across the nation if not the world over and its impact has been felt in Shreveport due to a recent social media post made by a Shreveport police officer that made waves the past couple of days. According to a report by the Shreveport Times, Sergeant Brent Mason allegedly made a post on his personal Facebook account and gave the opinion the Minneapolis police officers' actions during the arrest (specifically placing a knee across the neck of the suspect George Floyd and possibly causing his death), saying it was a " mistake or misstep not an act of murder. "
The Facebook post has caused local uproar on Social Media. As a result -- Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins and Shreveport Police Chief Ben Raymond held a press conference yesterday afternoon-- to address Sgt Mason’s Facebook posting and on the way Minneapolis Police handled the arrest. Here’s what Chief of Police Raymond had to say:
"I’ve never been taught, nor do I believe, placing the knee on the back of somebody’s neck for an extended period of time is an acceptable or justifiable use of force, except in instances of deadly force.," Raymond said. "The video segment that I watched was disturbing, to say the least,"
Raymond explained he was notified of the post made by the officer Wednesday evening, and immediately reached out and had him redact the post. Raymond posted on Social Media that the views expressed by individual officers on their personal social media accounts do not reflect the views or values of the Shreveport Police Department and Any posts thought to be in violation of city policies will be investigated.
As for his posting, Sergeant Mason has been placed on departmental leave and under administrative investigation concerning the social media post.
During the press conference, Mayor Perkins announced the formation of a 22 member committee on race and cultural diversity that will meet to address issues facing the city including crime, police community relations, and race relations. He also stated he is working with other Council Members to find funding for police body cameras.
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