Former Juneau Police Department Officer Brandon LeBlanc has been cleared of criminal charges for a July arrest in which he threw a man to the ground, knocking him unconscious.
In an Oct. 10 letter released by the Office of Special Prosecution, Attorney General Stephen Cox wrote, “I have concluded that the State could likely not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Officer LeBlanc’s use of force was not justified under the law, and the State will therefore not pursue charges against Officer LeBlanc.”
OSP, part of the state Department of Law, investigates instances where a police officer kills or seriously injures a civilian, and decides whether or not the state will file criminal charges against the officer.
OSP said it referenced an “independent investigation conducted by the Alaska State Troopers’ Alaska Bureau of Investigation, and an analysis of the applicable law” in concluding to clear LeBlanc of charges.
The incident in question occurred on July 30. Dash cam footage of the incident shows LeBlank slamming a man — later publicly identified by his family as Christopher Williams, Jr. — to the ground, after which Williams appears to lie unconscious. A police report released the following day stated that the man, Williams, was medevacked to Seattle following his arrest.
JPD placed LeBlanc on administrative leave on August 1, two days after the arrest. The Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska released a statement that same day, saying they were “deeply concerned about a recent incident involving the Juneau Police Department and one of our tribal citizens.”
A bystander video of the arrest posted online “received significant publicity and public outcry,” the OSP letter states.
LeBlanc resigned from the department on August 28, the day before the City and Borough of Juneau released police dash and body-worn camera footage of the incident.
OSP’s letter criticized CBJ for releasing the police footage before OSP’s review was complete. The Department of Law urged CBJ to change the city code that requires the release of footage within 30 days of an incident where an officer’s use of force causes serious physical injury.
LeBlanc had joined JPD last year. In 2013, while serving as an officer in Louisiana, LeBlanc was sued for excessive force and battery. A jury ultimately found him not guilty.
