Court rules against security officers in New Orleans racial profiling case

Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of Bilal Hankins in a 2020 racial profiling case, allowing a civil lawsuit to proceed.

Houma man accused of using company credit cards to purchase $90K worth of personal items on Amazon

According to the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana Justice Lab, for whom Hankins is a client, this case follows after, on June 13, 2020, private security officers allegedly drew their firearms on Hankins, a Black man who was a teenager at the time, as well as his friends, while they were reportedly driving around and searching for a lost dog near the corner of Camp Street and Valmont Street.

Hankins, who was driving the vehicle, had talked to the officers regarding the dog shortly before the incident. After speaking, however, the officer, Kevin Wheeler, radioed his fellow officer, Ramon Pierre, for backup. The two then allegedly followed Hankins, pulled him over and pointed their firearms at him.

Rape suspect back in custody after allegedly skipping trial in Tangipahoa Parish

The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana had formerly ruled in favor of the officers, arguing that their actions were covered by qualified immunity and that they had not violated Hankins’ constitutional rights by pointing firearms at him. The Fifth Circuit has reversed that decision.

The lawsuit against the officers is now set to go to trial in February.

Stay up to date with the latest news, weather and sports by downloading the WGNO app on the Apple or Google Play stores and by subscribing to the WGNO newsletter.

Latest Posts

• Drew Brees, Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones, Michael Jordan. This weekend in Kenner

• Water woes linger in New Orleans after wayward balloon causes power glitch, pressure drop

• Louisiana high court temporarily removes Judge Eboni Johnson Rose from Baton Rouge bench amid probe

• What to know about the controversy over a cancelled grain terminal in Louisiana’s Cancer Alley

• Plane carrying Carolina Panthers players runs off taxiway at Charlotte airport

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGNO.