A man who says he was attacked by St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Randy Smith is speaking out.
Local podcaster Bobby Couvillon tells WWL-TV that he and his wife were celebrating his birthday Friday at Keith Young's Steakhouse in Madisonville when Smith physically assaulted him.
"We're sitting there, we weren't there ten minutes, and all of the sudden, somebody came up from behind and started choking me," Couvillon said.
Couvillon says he has been critical of the sheriff on his podcast and there has been tension between them.
The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's office acknowledges there was "an incident involving Sheriff Randy Smith that occurred Friday (May 29) afternoon at a Madisonville-area restaurant."
"To ensure a fair, thorough and impartial review of the matter, the Louisiana Attorney General's Office has been contacted to investigate the incident," the sheriff's office said. "Sheriff Smith and the agency will fully cooperate with any investigation conducted by outside authorities."
Attorney General Liz Murrill's office confirmed that it has received the request, but would not comment further citing the ongoing investigation.
