BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — The Louisiana Legislature passed a bill requiring people to stay 25 feet away from police officers when told to stay clear on Monday, June 5.
“Doesn’t do anything to be unjust. It gives the police officer a safe opportunity to investigate,” State Representative Mike Johnson, (R) said.
“There’s no need for this bill to pass because we already have a law that’s addressing this issue,” ACLU of Louisiana Policy Strategist Stephanie Willis said.
Johnson said he believes the whole purpose of the bill is for the safety of the officer and the individual.
But the ACLU of Louisiana believes House Bill 85 is raising concerns about its constitutionality. Those opposed are worried about the potential for abuse.
“And for individuals who are exercising their First Amendment right to limit them from being able to do so, is unconstitutional,” Willis said.
Willis is concerned about how people are supposed to know where to draw the line, but Johnson said it’s not far at all.
“It’s just less than two car lengths, eight yards. It’s not very far. And it’s really the purpose of having it that distance is you want to have a separation from bodily contact, from anyone who’s angry or upset,” Johnson said.
Willis said 25 feet is too far back and it will prevent others from being able to tell stories like George Floyd and Rodney King.
“We know that eyewitness accounts, recordings of police misconduct, police brutality are the number one form of evidence that we have, that was displaying when there is police misconduct,” Willis said.
“Nothing in this statute says anything at all about prohibiting videotaping or listening or even communicating with the police officer. It just says it gives the police officer a buffer while he does his job,” Johnson said.
The ACLU said they plan on asking Gov. John Bel Edwards to veto the bill.
