Former Shreveport officer Alexander Tyler pleads not guilty in the fatal shooting of Alonzo Bagley
A former member of the Shreveport Police Department has appeared in court in connection with the shooting of a Black man.
On Monday (July 24), ex-officer Alexander Tyler, a white man, was arraigned on charges of fatally wounding Alonzo Bagley in February. He entered a not guilty plea to first-degree negligent homicide and felony malfeasance. According to The Associated Press, prosecutors recently added the second felony charge. If convicted, both counts carry sentences of up to five years in prison.
“These charges are extremely disappointing,” Dhu Thompson, Tyler’s lawyer, said in a statement. “However, we have been prepared since day one to bring the case and facts therein to an impartial jury. We look forward to our day in court.”
The July arraignment came after Tyler’s ecounter with Bagley was caught on bodycam footage. On Feb. 3, the suspect and another cop responded to a domestic disturbance call at an apartment complex in the Shreveport, Louisiana area. When authorities arrived, the 43-year-old jumped from the balcony and attempted to flee, per a state police report. Law enforcement then pursued him on foot. Once found, Tyler shot Bagley in the chest, the video showed.
In a previous statement, Thompson argued, “Officers are always faced on a day-to-day basis with dangerous situations like that.” And sometimes, “they have to make split-second decisions where they’re in a potential life-threatening situation,” he added. However, documents obtained by CNN the month of the encounter disclosed that Tyler was previously suspended from the force twice. Last year, Shreveport Police Internal Affairs opened an investigation into the ex-cop after he allegedly “violated department policy related to vehicle pursuits and operation of in-car cameras, as well as state law related to speed limits during a pursuit.” Since Bagley’s death, his family has filed a federal wrongful death suit against Tyler, alleging that he violated the victim’s Fourth Amendment rights. They are seeking over $10 million in damages.
Trending Stories
