WASHINGTON PARISH, La. (AUDACY) - A photo of four white corrections officers in Louisiana posing with a Black man apprehended for an alleged armed bank robbery has sparked outrage.
Critics say the optics of the photo, which has gone viral after it was posted to social media does not look good. The picture has gained a lot of attention from news outlets both national and international because they say it is reminiscent of days when white mobs in America hunted Black people.
"It brings about the history of slavery when you think about the hunting of African Americans at one time," Ashraf Esmail, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice at Dillard University told WWLTV. "With the issue of law enforcement and racial justice this past year, it really gives off a very, very bad optic."
Related
The photo shows four white corrections officers posing with a smiling and handcuffed Eric Boykin, a Black man from Gulfport, Mississippi, who is charged with armed bank robbery in Prentiss, Mississippi. The photo was taken shortly after Boykin was apprehended in Prentiss last week.
The officers seen in the photo are part of a ‘chase team’ from Washington Parish’s Rayburn Correctional Center. They were called in to apprehend Boykin.
The Louisiana Department of Safety and Corrections has not identified the officers in the photo but a spokesperson said in a statement to WWLTV, "The picture should not have been taken, it was poor judgement. We regret that it happened and will use this incident for sensitivity training for our staff.”
© 2021 KMOX (Audacy). All rights reserved
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Follow KMOX
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram