LSP investigating after Brusly officer "body slams" student

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BRUSLY, LA (WAFB) - Newly leaked video footage of an incident in October at Brusly Middle School shows a police officer wrestling with a student and slamming him to the ground twice as school staff members nervously look on. During the altercation, the officer says the student tried to grab the officer’s gun, two sources say. The incident occurred the morning of Oct. 5 in the main office at Brusly Middle School.

The footage was sent to WAFB from an anonymous source. The footage shows a young male student, believed to be 14-years-old, walk into the office and approach the desk where staff members appear to help him make a phone call. Sources familiar with the case say the student had just gotten into a verbal argument with the school’s vice principal and was in the office to call his grandmother to come pick him up.

About 15 seconds later, Brusly Police Officer Anthony “Kip” Dupre enters and begins saying something to the teen and pointing at him. No audio was recorded, so it’s unclear what was said. The boy remains standing in the same spot until it appears he no longer wants to make the phone call. He steps away from the desk and walks toward the exit.

The officer, who towers over the teen at about twice his size, steps toward the kid, puts him in a rear choke hold, and slams him to the ground. Once on the ground, the scuffle is mostly obscured from the camera, but the officer can be seen placing his eyeglasses on top the desk as he wrestles the student for nearly a minute. At one point, the officer’s right arm and shoulder are seen making forcible, jab-like movements in quick succession, as if he were throwing punches. Sources say the teen admitted to reaching for the officer’s gun during the struggle and had fought with other officers on at least two prior occasions.

The video shows the officer’s gun come loose and a staff member picks it up and places it on the desk. She relocates the gun a second time as the scuffle moves closer toward it.

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