Jefferson, LA - Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand went back and forth with the alleged victim's mother Wednesday morning on local radio station WBOK.
22-year-old Patrick George says the deputies beat him after he was pulled over for not wearing a seat belt. The incident happened at 2:00 a.m. on September 17th in the 300 block of Avenue I in Marrero. According to the police report, George jumped out of the car yelling and then attacked a deputy. George was booked on several charges, including battery on a police officer.
"There is no justification the JPSO can come up with to justify beating my son in the face," said George's mother Marlo Best.
Best filed complaints with the FBI and the sheriff's office. Wednesday morning, on WBOK radio, she discussed the case with Normand, who says his office is investigating.
"I can tell you I've had many, many cases of parents who swore about the innocence of their child and once the investigation was complete ended up apologizing to the JPSO because they didn't have all of the facts and I'm not telling you that's what's gonna happen in this case," Normand said to Best during the radio broadcast.
George, who does not have a criminal record in Orleans or Jefferson, admits he originally gave deputies a fake name, was driving without a license and was wanted for unpaid traffic tickets.
"We happened to stop your son in an area that is a high drug area as well as prostitution area at 2:00 am.," Normand told Best.
Best says she was disappointed with Normand's response.
"My expectation was that Newell Normand was going to clean the force and that he wanted to change the perception of the tolerance police...of police brutality...that had been going on for years and years, so when he talked to me this morning I felt attacked."
Best is skeptical about the sheriff's internal investigation, so she's hoping the FBI will take a look at the case.
