I-TEAM: Former officer sued over violent encounter outside of hospital

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - Police body camera footage obtained by the WAFB I-Team shows just how quickly an arrest turned violent outside of Our Lady of the Lake hospital in October of 2022 after former Baton Rouge Police Officer Troy Lawrence Jr. arrived at the scene.

According to a federal lawsuit filed Monday, a family gathered outside of the hospital that night in October to check on their loved one who was shot earlier in the evening by police. Family members started to argue when Troy Lawrence Jr. stepped in.

When Lawrence Jr. shows up and orders the family to leave, that is when the situation appears to go off the rails.

**WARNING** THE BELOW VIDEO CONTAINS GRAPHIC LANGUAGE:

The video shows one man, Holden Sanders, tell Lawrence Jr. that he’s ‘doing too much’ and requests that he stop talking to the group in a crazy manner. Lawrence Jr. and the man begin arguing and eventually explicit language is used. Then, the video shows Lawrence Jr. attempts to force the man into his car.

When Sanders tells Lawrence Jr. to stop and mentions the officer’s body camera, that’s when hands start flying and cuffs come out.

As things go further off the rails, the video shows the former officer wrap his hands around Sanders’ neck while trying to yank him out of the car. Later on, Lawrence Jr. also gets physical with Sanders’ brother, mother and another man there at the scene in a matter of seconds, the video shows.

Attorney Thomas Frampton represents brothers Holden Sanders and Emanuel Chavis. He says this encounter is another example of Troy Lawrence Jr. turning a routine interaction with the public into a violent encounter.

“It’s clear that all of the escalation is completely attributable to Troy Lawrence, Jr. and not my clients,” said Frampton. “This could have easily been remedied by common sense and basic human decency.”

Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome announced Lawrence Jr.’s resignation Tuesday ahead of a meeting where police leaders would consider terminating him.

Chief of Police Murphy Paul said that Lawrence’s superiors had complained about his behavior and had even issued an internal complaint, requesting that he be removed from the unit.

Lawerence has been the subject of several internal affairs investigations at BRPD as well as reports from the WAFB I-Team.

He is the son of high-ranking BRPD Deputy Chief Troy Lawrence Sr.

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

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