THE INVESTIGATORS: 3 officers involved in encounter with LSU WR Koy Moore cleared of any wrongdoing

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - The three officers involved in an encounter with LSU football player Koy Moore that gained national attention have been cleared of any wrongdoing, the 9News Investigators have learned.

The Baton Rouge Police Department confirms a hearing did take place Wednesday, March 10 but when pressed about the outcome, a spokesman for the department chose not to elaborate on the case other than to say that it had concluded.

A source familiar with the case tells WAFB one of the officers was completely cleared of any wrongdoing at all and two of the officers were issued a letter of caution for the language used during the encounter.

Chris Stewart, executive director of the Louisiana Law Enforcement Association, said he is pleased with the outcome and says this is what he believed was going to happen all along.

“We’re definitely pleased about the outcome and we just wish things wouldn’t have been elevated to a certain level and this had been resolved and those officers’ due process was protected,” Stewart said.

Kyle Kershaw, the attorney for the Baton Rouge Police Union, released the following statement on the officers being cleared in the investigation:

“We are satisfied with the outcome in the disciplinary process. We are happy that Chief Paul was able to view the video evidence and see through Mr. Moore’s false allegations. We are hopeful that LSU will hold Mr. Moore accountable for violating the Code of Student Conduct and the resulting damage to the officers.”

The incident happened back on November 8, 2020 and gained national attention after Moore posted on social media that he felt violated.

RELATED: THE INVESTIGATORS: Incident report details what led officers to encounter with Koy Moore

Upon arrival, the officers say they patrolled the parking garage from the first floor to the roof, but were unable to locate any large party or gathering. In addition, they did not find anyone playing loud music or causing a disturbance. The report states the case was closed without incident.

Moore was with Alabama freshman wide receiver Traeshon Holden in Baton Rouge Sunday, Nov. 8, his attorney said.

Moore alleged he was violated by the officers, saying they pulled guns on him and at some point, tried to unzip his pants to find a gun he claims he repeatedly told officers he did not have.

Those officers were placed on leave while the case was investigated but were returned to restrictive duty about a month later.

When asked about the case Wednesday afternoon Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome said she would not make a comment about the matter at this time.

WAFB has repeatedly put in requests for the body camera video from the encounter since November to shed more light on the situation but the department has denied those requests.

“There’s no reason why that video can’t be released at this point and honestly it should have been released months ago,” said Stewart.

Stewart says the two officers who received that letter of caution got the lowest form of punishment that can be issued and that the case can not be appealed so essentially there is nothing that he’s aware of that should be able to prevent BRPD from making the video public and honoring the media’s request for it.

The 9News Investigators submitted another request for the body camera video late Wednesday afternoon.

Mayor Broome’s office issued a statement Thursday, March 11:

“From the beginning, Chief Murphy Paul has handled this issue with transparency and open communication, initially meeting with the LSU student, his mother and attorney to discuss their complaint.

The investigative process has concluded with BRPD and more details will be released by the department soon. The body cam video will show the complexities of the incident and the importance of open dialogue between the police department and the community after such an occurrence. The video will be available to the public as soon as possible in compliance with normal release procedures.

We should not be so quick to disregard the experiences of our citizens and their interactions with law enforcement, nor should we be inflexible in our views of these incidents. Closing the gap between law enforcement and the community, along with building a 21st Century Police Department means being intentional in our efforts to address public concerns, making appropriate policy changes when needed, and investing in our officers for their safety and well-being.”

Mark Glago and Jatavian Williams, the attorneys for Moore and his family, also released a statement Thursday. It read in part:

“The BRPD’s interaction with Koy Moore and his friend the night of Nov. 8 is clear evidence that we should expect more from the officers who are supposed to protect all citizens. Unfortunately for Koy, his first-ever encounter with police fell well outside of the conduct expected from police officers. When misconduct and policy violations occur, accountability and discipline must follow. The closed-door disciplinary decisions by the BRPD is a warning sign that the outcome of this situation will do little to change officer behavior that must change.”

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