EBR officials provide updates on ‘Brave Cave,’ investigation, resignation of Troy Lawrence Jr.

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - Mayor Broome spoke to members of the media ahead of a news conference Tuesday, Aug. 29., where Baton Rouge Police Department leaders addressed the resignation of Officer Troy Lawrence Jr. and an investigation that has been launched into a secretive interrogation site known to some officers as the ‘Brave Cave.’

RELATED: Officer resigns following WAFB I-TEAM story about ‘Brave Cave’; Mayor Broome issues new statement

The avalanche of new developments stemmed from a report by the WAFB I-TEAM where a man’s attorney, Ryan Thompson, alleges his client was brutally beaten and question inside the facility back in January. Baton Rouge Police Chief Murphy Paul and his staff called the allegations serious and admit they had never heard of the term ‘Brave Cave’ prior to the I-TEAM report.

A source familiar with the layout of the building tells WAFB it is actually housed in the rear of the complex where BRPD’s first district is located on Plank Road.

During the news conference, BRPD deputy chief Myron Daniels said the facility has been used for years and thousands of suspects have been processed there. He and other leaders are adamant that there’s nothing secretive about the location.

One of the officers accused of beating Jeremy Lee at the facility in January, Troy Lawrence, Jr. resigned under a cloud of controversy after complaints were made against the officer over several years. In some of those complaints, citizens came forward saying that the officer had become aggressive with people as he responded to crime scenes and made arrests. In other complaints, his own fellow officers had come forward alleging misconduct, including a recent complaint where members of his own unit wanted him reassigned because of his behavior.

RELATED: I-TEAM: Attorney alleges client brutally beaten in BRPD ‘torture warehouse’

Broome said Tuesday that Lawrence Jr. was scheduled for a pre-termination hearing next week, but chose to resign instead. Broome called the allegations of abuse concerning.

“Those allegations are concerning for me because I believe as an administration that we have certainly focused on transparency and more importantly we have worked with our citizens to build a level of trust that was not there in the past,” said Broome.

It’s worth noting, the former officer’s father is Troy Lawrence, Sr., a deputy chief with the agency.

While an investigation into alleged actions at the Brave Cave continue to be investigated, leaders with the department say they plan to still use the facility after bringing some upgrades online. Those upgrades should be completed by September.

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