Jared Desadier, Police Abuse, Louisiana 2022

In a shocking display of corruption and disregard for the law, a former officer of the Monroe Police Department, Jared Desadier, 44, has been sentenced to 78 months in federal prison and two years of supervised release for his role in the assault of an arrestee in Ouachita Parish and his efforts to cover up that abuse.

The brutal assault occurred on April 21, 2020, when Desadier chased after the victim, who eventually stopped running and got on his stomach with his hands behind his back. Desadier, thinking he was not being recorded, continued to run towards the victim and kicked him in the face.

The sentence handed down to Desadier is a stark reminder of the consequences of law enforcement officers who abuse their power and violate the rights of citizens. The defendant’s decision to callously assault an arrestee when he thought he wasn’t being watched is an affront to the principles of honesty and integrity that our society expects from law enforcement,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Flanagan for the Western District of Louisiana and Trial Attorney Thomas Johnson of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section. “All Americans expect law enforcement officers to continuously abide by the law,” said U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown for the Western District of Louisiana. “The bedrock of officer and citizen engagement is for the officer to, without exception, act professionally with a goal of deescalating tense situations. Here, this defendant instead decided to criminally escalate the situation by unnecessarily battering the victim.”

Prosecuting offenses such as these not only benefit society, but also law enforcement because bad police officers who cast a black eye on the profession are eradicated from the law enforcement community. This office will continue to prosecute these types of crimes with a goal of increasing the public’s trust in law enforcement.

The sentencing of Desadier is a significant victory for justice and a reminder that law enforcement officers will be held accountable for their actions. The case serves as a stark reminder of the importance of police accountability and the need for law enforcement agencies to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and integrity.