Baton Rouge Police chief blames same bad actors for spike in shootings, gun violence

BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — A shooting streak in the Baton Rouge area continues with three more happening overnight. In a fiery news conference Friday, the Baton Rouge Police Department head blamed the same bad actors.

BRPD Chief Murphy J. Paul Jr. said there must be more accountability from the judicial system and the community as shooting deaths keep climbing.

“We got to stop letting these violent criminals who will continue to terrorize our neighborhoods out on the streets,” said Paul.

After numerous shootings over the last week leaving six dead and several hurt, Paul said it’s the same people causing the chaos.

“I’m talking about people we arrested for homicides, facts. I’m talking about people we arrested for shootings, facts,” he said.

Three more shootings were reported Thursday night and early Friday morning in the city. Just hours prior, one of the shooting locations was the same spot where officers did a community walk and talk.

Officers said they’re turning to tech to help fight crime.

“We’ve acquired four additional drones, 40 additional crime cameras, as well as 41 additional license plate readers,” said BRPD Deputy Chief Troy Lawrence.

It’s not just officers showing up to these shootings at all hours.

“Whenever we go on a crime scene like that is to basically connect with the family,” said Dr. Greg Phillips, the Safe Passage liaison with the Baton Rouge Community Street Team. 

The team, including Phillips and Gerald Haynes, want to help in areas where many don’t trust the police.

“They have the police trying to tell you to chill out, that’s not going to resonate to you but to have somebody that you know that’s in the community … sometimes they just need to say it in a way that the police is not going to say it to you,” Haynes said. 

Paul said BRPD is all for this, and points to these shootings as a reason for that lack of trust.

“Every time a murder, a shooter gets out of jail, after we arrested them and built a case, you know what happens? The community begins to lose faith in us,” Paul said. 

He said it’s up to the legal system to keep these shooters off the streets. It’s about preventing more crimes and saving lives.

“What message does that send when we’ve arrested somebody twice for shootings and they are out there in the community? You don’t think their fear is reasonable?,” said Paul. 

BRPD said some administrative positions will be reassigned to address violence over the summer.