Ex-IPSO deputy pleads guilty

LAFAYETTE — Former Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office deputy Cody Laperouse awaits a sentencing investigation and hearing after entering a guilty plea to a misdemeanor civil rights violation charge in federal court Tuesday.

Laperouse, 29, pleaded guilty around 2 p.m. Tuesday at the U.S. District Courthouse in Lafayette alongside his lawyer, Richard Spears of New Iberia. The charge was filed in a bill of information March 16.

U.S. Magistrate Patrick Hanna accepted the guilty plea. Laperouse admitted to twice striking a man identified officially as “C.B.” around 1:40 a.m. Sept. 29, 2013, as deputies broke up a street party on Hopkins Street in New Iberia following the unrelated Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival.

As Laperouse testified in court, C.B. was arrested for failing to disperse the state highway as Laperouse and other deputies had been instructing the crowd. When C.B., who was handcuffed behind his back, repeatedly refused to comply and roll onto his front, Laperouse said he hit him with his baton while C.B. was on his side on the ground.

That action, captured on a cellphone video camera for the Internet and media outlets to later circulate, violated U.S. Constitutional Amendments against excessive force, Hanna said, and could have unjustly resulted in nerve damage to C.B.

Spears said law enforcement guidelines mean Laperouse should have used his hands to handle the apparently unruly C.B. before using force. The lawyer said it took time to decide to enter the guilty plea.

“There was a lot of heartache about what to do,” Spears said. “Obviously aside from this, he’s had a clean slate as an officer.”

Laperouse, who now works for the St. Martinville Police Department, faces up to a year of jail time and supervised release and a maximum $100,000 fine. As part of the plea agreement, no additional charges will arise from this investigation.

Following the incident, the Sheriff’s Office conducted an internal investigation that apparently implicated Laperouse, as he was terminated once it was completed. Iberia Parish Sheriff Louis Ackal then turned the case over to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for any potential federal violations.

Laperouse was released on his own recognizance following the guilty plea, under stipulations that included he maintain or otherwise seek employment, comply with the sentencing investigation and any court appearances and avoiding contact with victims or witnesses in the incident outside of the courtroom. A civil lawsuit filed by one Christopher Butler — presumably C.B.— against Laperouse, Ackal and the Sheriff’s Office is pending in federal court.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Mickel said “one other incident” would factor into the sentencing investigation, though he did not divulge details. Spears said he was unaware of any additional incidents.