Chief of Police Derek Bos says the Juneau Police Department is taking action to reform its policies after an officer was filmed slamming a man to the ground during an arrest in July.
Bos presented the findings of an internal review of the department to the Juneau Assembly at a committee meeting Monday night. Overall, he said he believes the officer’s actions don’t reflect his character or the department as a whole.
“I firmly believe he’s a good officer who made a very bad mistake on that day,” he said.
The presentation comes nearly two months after former JPD Officer Brandon LeBlanc’s arrest of the man circulated widely online and prompted a public outcry.
The video showed LeBlanc attempting to handcuff the man before slamming him to the ground. The man, whose family has publicly identified him as Christopher Williams, Jr., appeared to lie unconscious for the remainder of the video. He was later medevacked out of town.
Following the arrest, Leblanc was placed on paid administrative leave and the department requested an independent investigation by an external agency to review Leblanc’s use of force, which is still ongoing.
The police department released the body-worn camera footage of the arrest late last month. LeBlanc resigned from his position just a day before it was released.
Chief Bos said that following the incident, the department has updated its policies for requesting medical assistance when someone loses consciousness. Additionally, he said officers learn tactics at the state’s Basic Training Academy that do not align with JPD’s expectations and policies. He said the department is now developing plans to address that disparity in its training.
Bos went on to defend the department’s hiring standards. That’s despite Assembly members’ concerns about LeBlanc’s background. A man previously sued LeBlanc for excessive force and battery while he served as an officer in Louisiana. A jury found LeBlanc not guilty.
“Our standards are very high, and we — and me specifically — are not going to accept a warm body, just to accept a warm body,” he said.
Bos said the department is committed to working with the community and other entities to be transparent and build trust following the incident. Once the external investigation of LeBlanc’s use of force is completed, the state’s Office of Special Prosecutions will review the case to determine if his response was justified.
