Sheriff's Office will investigate viral video incident

Patterson Police Chief Garrett Grogan confirmed Wednesday that he has asked the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office to investigate the actions of officers after a physical encounter with a suspect.
The encounter was captured on a cellphone video and provoked heated comments on social media.
Two officers are shown restraining and handcuffing the suspect after a June 26 traffic stop. The names of the officers have not been released by the Police Department, but complaints about the incident have centered on Officer Sam Tezano.
The suspect in the video, Jevon Smith, was booked later that evening on a stop sign violation and charges of disturbing the peace and resisting an officer.
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.
Body-cam footage may tell a more complete story about what happened leading up to Smith’s apprehension. Grogan hasn’t released such footage, citing the ongoing investigation.
In a Facebook post, Grogan promised transparency.
“Once that investigation is complete, I will be as transparent as the law allows regarding the outcome and any actions taken,” Grogan said. “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.
“Those clips and images often capture only a small portion of an event and may not tell the entire story. Our responsibility is to gather all available facts, review all evidence, speak with witnesses, and conduct a complete and impartial investigation before drawing conclusions.”
Grogan also asked anyone with a complaint to talk to him about it.
At a Patterson City Council meeting Tuesday, a half-dozen members of the public brought complaints about policing, especially by Tezano.
The complaints went beyond the June 26 incident to what the speakers characterized as overly aggressive tactics.
Grogan said one officer is on administrative leave pending the investigation.