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Shreveport Police Still Refuse to Disclose Information about Officers Involved in the Death of Marquise Hudspeth

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  • Cops shot Black man holding cell phone in the back eight times -all on video [more

In those contentious months after Marquise Hudspeth was shot and killed in a convenience store parking lot by two Shreveport police officers, the final frantic days of his life were aired to the public. But three years after Hudspeth was killed in that parking lot, little is known about the officers -- Michael Armstrong, Denver Ramsey and Steven Hathorn -- who were involved in the fatal shooting. Their personnel files have never been disclosed by the Shreveport Police Department despite several legal challenges. The department claimed an exemption under state law that allows it to bar access to files pertaining to ongoing police investigations. It was the controversial death of Hudspeth in March 2003 that raised -- and still raises -- concerns about whether too much information was being suppressed by law enforcement agencies. "There should not be a system in place where nobody checks nobody," said James Pannell, president of the local chapter of the NAACP. "Who are they protecting and who are they serving?" [more]

  • Hudspeth lawsuit cites city, police culture of excessive force against blacks [more]
  • Pictured above: Suspect Hudspeth turns towards Officer Armstrong who is holding his pistol at the suspect's face. Wouldn't this be sufficient to warn the suspect that he may get shot if he continues his actions? [more]