Ed Orgeron, Scott Woodward Issue Statements on Koy Moore Incident

LSU freshman wide receiver Koy Moore posted a complaint on his Instagram Sunday saying he was “violated multiple times” by three Baton Rouge police officers during an incident Saturday night.

Moore claims the officers in question assumed he had a gun and drugs in his possession and drew their guns on him. Moore says the officers went as far as unzipping his pants looking for a weapon that was not there; Moore also said the officers also took away his phone as he tried to document the incident.

The Baton Rouge Police Department placed the three officers on leave and Murphy Paul, BRPD’s Chief of Police, talked to Moore about the encounter.

“We appreciate Mr. Moore bringing this incident to our attention,” Paul said in a statement Monday. “As in every case, we will be collecting all available evidence and conducting interviews. Accountability and transparency are critical in building trust with the community. I pledge a thorough investigation into this complaint.”

Ed Orgeron issued a statement on the matter on both Twitter and his weekly meeting with Baton Rouge media.

“I met with Koy and his mom this morning to find out exactly what happened,” Orgeron told reporters. “His brother was also in there. We do everything to support Koy and his family. Many of you read my statement last night. There’s no place in America for racism or social injustice. I want to thank Chief Murphy Paul for acting quickly, investigating this. What I’ve heard, the three officers involved were put on paid administrative leave. And obviously we’re going to let them handle everything with Koy, and I expect the best thing will come out.”

LSU Athletic Director Scott Woodward also issued a statement.

“The safety and well-being of our student-athletes is our most important responsibility, and the details described by Koy Moore of his encounter with Baton Rouge Police on Saturday night are very troubling. We have engaged with Koy and his family, and the appropriate LSU officials are working with BRPD to help gather all of the facts of the incident. We have full faith BRPD will conduct a thorough and transparent investigation into the matter. We will continue to dedicate every available resource to supporting Koy and all other LSU student-athletes who are understandably upset. Black Americans should never be treated unjustly by law enforcement, and we will continue to do our part to help change systemic racism in America.”