Police Officer Arrested After Kicking Fleeing Suspect In The Head

Body camera video footage released by the city of Monroe Thursday shows the April 21 arrest of Timothy Williams.

The arrest is at the center of a use-of-force investigation into the actions of multiple Monroe Police Department officers.

One officer, Jared Preston Desadier, 42, was booked into Ouachita Correctional Center on July 25 on charges of malfeasance in office and second-degree battery in connection with the incident. His arrest warrant was filed under seal.

Desadier has since submitted a letter of resignation to the Monroe Municipal Fire and Police Civil Service Board. In a Thursday statement, the city said it plans to stay as transparent as possible within the limits of an ongoing criminal and internal affairs investigation.

The city also said it has asked the FBI to conduct a own separate investigation of the incident and the victim's complaint.

"Today’s release of the bodycam footage of the incident is one of several steps we intend to take to ensure transparency during this process and to maintain public confidence in the city's commitment to ensure that all citizens are treated equally," said Mayor Friday Ellis.

The criminal investigation is nearing completion, according to the city, but the internal affairs investigation is ongoing. It involves a review of how this complaint was handled and the role of any other officers in the complaint process.

According to The News-Star's media partners at KTVE, Timothy Williams, 39, was arrested on April 21. Williams said he ran from police but stopped when he realized he couldn't outrun them.

In the complaint, he said as many as eight MPD officers used force against him during an arrest.

fter a review of preliminary evidence, MPD placed the two arresting officers on administrative leave. Desadier was one of the two officers.

Three additional officers not implicated in the use of force were also placed on administrative leave pending additional investigation.

Williams, 39, was taken into custody on April 21.

He was stopped in the 400 block of North Fourth Street during a search for an audible alarm.

According to the arrest report, Williams produced a fake black handgun from underneath his shirt.

In a search, officers located a crack pipe in his pocket, the report states, and Williams ran. He was later transported to St. Francis "for lacerations he suffered while trying to evade capture."