Patterson chief: Review of arrest finds no wrongdoing

The St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office review of events surrounding a June 26 Patterson Police Department arrest has found no evidence of wrongdoing, Patterson Chief Garret Grogan said Monday.
Sheriff's Office spokesman David Spencer characterized the office's role as "an independent review of the use of force on a particular traffic stop."
"At this time, we are not releasing any further information on our independent review due to this being a PPD personnel issue that may wind up in litigation," Spencer said in an email.
Any other release of information would be up to the Patterson police, he said.
A bystander’s cellphone video showing the arrest of Jevon Smith on traffic charges turned up on social media, leading to complaints about rough treatment at the hands of two officers.
Although the video showed two officers, the complaints centered on Officer Sam Tezano.
Tezano had been placed on administrative leave. The department has since terminated Tezano, Grogan said.
“It wasn’t because of that incident,” the chief said.
Otherwise, Grogan declined to say anything other than confirming the result of the Sheriff’s Office review of the case, saying the incident is part of court proceedings
Smith was booked on a stop sign violation and disturbing the peace and resisting an officer charge after the June 26 arrest.
The video begins with Smith and a police officer standing in front of the open driver's side door on Smith's vehicle.
With the officer's hand on his back, Smith appears to turn and take a few steps around the door in the direction of the driver's seat. As Smith turns toward the officer, the officer pushes him back against the vehicle.
A second officer comes into the picture, and the officers, each holding one of Smith's arms, attempt to force him to the ground. As Smith says "I am! I am!" without going to the ground on his own, one of the officers trips him, and Smith is forced to his stomach on the ground. Smith was not wearing a shirt.
There, he is held down until he is handcuffed.
In an earlier interview, Grogan defended the actions of both officers, saying they acted within department policy.
"Once that investigation is complete, I will be as transparent as the law allows regarding the outcome and any actions taken," Grogan said in a Facebook post. "I also want to encourage the public not to be quick to judge an incident based solely on a short cellphone video, photograph, or social media post.”
Grogan also asked anyone with a complaint to talk to him about it.