The Juneau Police Department has released the name of the officer who slammed a man to the ground last month during an arrest. The department says it also plans to release the body-worn camera footage from the incident at the end of this month.
The officer’s name is Brandon LeBlanc. He started his position in Juneau last fall. The department placed him on paid administrative leave following the arrest.
The department says LeBlanc has 17 years of law enforcement experience. Before beginning his position in Juneau, LeBlanc worked as an officer in Louisiana.
While there, court documents show that a man sued LeBlanc in 2016 for excessive force and battery, among other accusations. The man claimed he received a broken jaw and was unlawfully tased by LeBlanc during an arrest.
LeBlanc testified during the trial that the man was punching another officer, and that he tackled and tased him when he resisted arrest. A jury found LeBlanc not guilty.
During the incident involving the Juneau man last month, witness Ibn Bailey recorded a video of the arrest that circulated widely online. Later, Bailey said the officer responded in “the most professional manner, given the circumstance.”
The video showed LeBlanc attempting to handcuff the man before slamming him to the ground. The man appeared to lie unconscious for the remainder of the video and was later medevacked out of town with a head injury.
Dozens of Juneau residents gathered at the police station days after to protest the officer’s actions. The man’s family has publicly identified him as Christopher Williams, Jr. They say he plans to sue the department.
The Juneau Police Department requested an independent investigation by an external agency to review LeBlanc’s use of force. That investigation is still ongoing.
Once it’s finished, the state Office of Special Prosecutions will then review the case to determine if LeBlanc was justified in his response. The city says it will also conduct an internal investigation of the incident to examine whether his actions aligned with the department’s current policy.
In May, the Juneau Assembly passed an ordinance mandating that the Juneau Police Department release body-worn camera footage no more than 30 days after a city police officer’s actions cause serious injury. That means the footage will be released on Aug. 29.
