Death of LaPlace man sparks lawsuit over excessive force

Published 12:45 pm Saturday, December 3, 2022

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LAPLACE — Louisiana State Police and the East Jefferson Levee District Police Department are being sued by the American Civil Liberties Union for using excessive, fatal force against Jabari Asante-Chioke, a 52-year-old LaPlace resident who was shot 24 times last year in Metairie.

Police were alerted to Asante-Chioke after a passerby reported he was walking along a highway carrying what was later confirmed to be a gun and a knife. According to the ACLU, many of the shots fired by police struck Asante-Chioke after he was disarmed and severely wounded.

ACLU of Louisiana Legal Director Nora Ahmed referred to the officers as “ill-trained, ill-disciplined and ill-supervised.”

The case has been filed in the Eastern District Court of Louisiana on claims of excessive force and wrongful death against the officers involved. The lawsuit also brings claims of negligent supervision and training against Superintendent Col. Lamar Davis of Louisiana State Police and Chief Robert Garner of Levee District Police, as well as the State of Louisiana.