On Monday, June 8th 2020, a video was posted online showing multiple SPD officers were recorded on camera brutally attacking Tommie McGlothen Jr. from a encounter that happened on April 5, 2020.. Tommie McGlothen Jr., a 44-year-old black man, allegedly died in the custody of Shreveport police, according to the Caddo Parish district attorney. At the time, SPD didn’t report McGlothen’s death publicly and 54-days passed before the district attorney’s office received an investigative file from police with D.A. James Stewart saying that file is, “missing reports, statements, downloads and other vital information essential to conduct a thorough and complete review.” Three witnesses described the final minutes of McGlothen’s life and allowed a camera to record cell phone video of McGlothen’s violent encounter with police. The first frames of the grainy video show Shreveport police wrestling Tommie McGlothen Jr. to the ground under a carport on Eilleen Lane. A few seconds into the nearly 4.5 minute clip come the first blows. A white male officer hits McGlothen as a black female cop tries holding him down. The video that was recorded with a small camera off a cell phone gets shaky next showing the female officer rolling over and getting up, when the male cop kicks McGlothen. That’s when the male cop, now standing over McGlothen, punches him four times. McGlothen is then heard screaming out, as witnesses say police began tazing him behind a parked car. Just before the three-minute mark with three cops now holding McGlothen down, a fourth officer runs into the picture with witnesses saying – and video appearing to show – that white male cop punching McGlothen before another officer tazes him at least three more times. The blurry video then captures an officer rise up and hit McGlothen with a baton before the same cop turns, to strike four more blows to McGlothen’s legs. As the handheld video shakes, McGlothen is handcuffed and stood up. That’s when witnesses say – and video seems to show – an officer shoving him to the ground. Fifteen seconds later, back on his feet, officers walk McGlothen to a squad car. His face slammed against the hood. What happens next is hard to see on the video – but four witnesses and a police source - says that McGlothen spit in the black female officer’s face and in return, she punched McGlothen twice in the face. According to the witnesses, McGlothen then fell behind a police car; his head hitting the pavement. In the last seconds of the video, a white male cop is seen picking McGlothen up. Witnesses saying the officer put him in the back of a cop car, where McGlothen got quiet. Minutes later, according to the witnesses, McGlothen looked slumped over and unconscious. Now there is a second video, which was not allowed to be recorded. It shows an ambulance getting on scene. But according to three witnesses and the cell phone video, by then it was dark. Witnesses say they fear McGlothen was already dead because according to them, the ambulance drove off slowly, with no lights or siren. A police spokesperson says all the officers involved are still on the job. No one is been placed on administrative leave, but the matter is under investigation.

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We the citizens of Shreveport, Louisiana are demanding that all officers involved names and badge numbers be released to the public, that all officers involved are placed on NON-PAID administrative leave.

Getting these names and badge numbers will not fix our broken system. In the time it takes to write this more videos of police brutality will be flooding social media from cities and departments across the country. If we can get the names and badge numbers for these officers out to the public we can demand every single officer involved be fired, arrested, and charged.

We cannot rely on internal investigations to do what is right. We DEMAND immediate reform to the system across the board. I kindly ask you to sign this petition and demand answers, Officers involved be placed on Non-Paid Administrative leave, and charges brought against these cops from the city of Shreveport.