Jogging doctor asks for bond review in his battery case

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - A bond review hearing for a former Baton Rouge doctor charged with simple battery was postponed Tuesday.

Dr. Shane McKinney, 54, was booked into the East Baton Rouge parish prison on a charge of simple battery last year. His arrest came after a member of the Southern University track team claimed the doctor pushed her out of his way and yelled a racial slur at her as he was jogging along the LSU lakes.

In the police report tied to this case, an officer wrote that the female was walking with a... — In the police report tied to this case, an officer wrote that the female was walking with a friend when McKinney ran past them. “The victim advised that the Defendant (McKinney) deliberately raised his elbow and struck her in the shoulder/chest area, with enough force to cause the victim to turn 180 degrees.”(WAFB)

The case is now being handled by prosecutors from the 18th Judicial District, in West Baton Rouge parish, after local prosecutors recused themselves.

19th JDC District Attorney Hillar Moore recused his office from the case late last year because a relative of the doctor works for his office.

McKinney and his lawyer appeared in court Tuesday and asked Judge William Jorden to postpone the bond review hearing until September 14. The judge agreed, court records show.

McKinney’s lawyer filed the motion for the bond review, asking the judge to review certain restrictions set on McKinney as a condition of him being allowed out on a $10,000 bond last year. The filings did not indicate what those conditions are.

No trial date in the case has been set.

In the police report tied to this case, an officer wrote that the female was walking with a friend when McKinney ran past them. “The victim advised that the Defendant (McKinney) deliberately raised his elbow and struck her in the shoulder/chest area, with enough force to cause the victim to turn 180 degrees.”

The initial police report from the incident makes no mention of any racial slur being used. That allegation was, however, included in a police news release sent out about the case.

Detectives with the Baton Rouge Police (BRPD) said they did not have any evidence to support that the attack was racially motivated.

McKinney’s attorney issued the following statement last year about the doctor’s arrest:

Dr. Shane McKinney is innocent. Allegations that he threw a punch and made a racially offensive comment are not true and not supported by police action.

He was not arrested for any type of hate crime because the evidence does not support it. And the misdemeanor simple battery is based upon his elbow contacting the accuser’s bicep or shoulder as he jogged past her on the narrow sidewalk. A simple battery requires the “intentional use of force or violence.” There was none. The contact was unintentional.

Dr. McKinney’s life and career has been devoted to helping and healing those in need during the most vulnerable times of their lives. He left a career managing people for a major corporation to attend medical school and residency to help people in his and our community. He is a healer and not a harmer. He is sorry for any of his actions that contributed to this circumstance. He has no ill will towards anyone and looks forward to the legal system running its course and for the truth to be fully unveiled.

If anyone in the area has any video from a cell phone or from a home or business surveillance camera, we ask that they please provide this video to law enforcement so the true and accurate account of this incident can be seen.

McKinney worked for Our Lady of the Lake hospital at the time of his arrest. He no longer works for that hospital.

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