BATON ROUGE, La. – Three Baton Rouge police officers have been hit with criminal charges as investigators probe allegations that a street crime unit turned an unmarked warehouse dubbed the “Brave Cave” into a torture chamber where innocent people were assaulted, stripped, and subjected to body cavity searches, the police chief said Friday.
Deputy Chief Troy Lawrence Sr. was charged with simple battery, obstruction of justice, malfeasance in office and theft, and was placed on administrative leave, Baton Rouge Police Chief Murphy Paul said.
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Sgt. Jesse Barcelona was charged with obstruction of justice, malfeasance in office and theft, Paul said. And Cpl. Todd Thomas was charged with theft, obstruction of justice, malfeasance in office and simple battery. Those two officers were also placed on leave.
An arrest warrant has also been issued for a fourth officer who faces a charge of malfeasance in office, Paul said. He identified the officer as Cpl. Douglas Hughes but gave no details about whether he was in custody.
Read the full report from NBC News.