2 Baton Rouge police officers, former officer charged with abuse of power regarding sex act


By Elizabeth Vowell

BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) -
Two Baton Rouge Police officers and a former officer have been indicted on abuse of power charges related to a sex act.
Isaac Bolden, Travis Wheeler, and Emerson Jackson are accused of walking up to a woman and a man in a parked car at Old Hammond Park earlier this year and forcing the man to leave. Bolden then allegedly had the woman perform a sex act on him.
Police officials say Bolden resigned months ago and the other officers are on leave.
"They're always going to be bad apples in the group. My job as an administrator is to find those bad apples and serve them with the discipline and whatever law they may have broke," said Baton Rouge Police Chief Carl Dabadie.
A grand jury handed up charges of abuse of power against all three Wednesday afternoon. District Attorney Hillar Moore explained that charges related to sexual battery did not apply in this case because of issues with consent.
“Based on our review of the law and compared to the facts, the abuse of office was the most proper charge," said Moore.
As for Officers Wheeler and Jackson, Chief Dabadie says they're off the streets for now.
"We are following all the guidelines set forth by law and by state civil service law. We've placed them on administrative leave at this point. They have no policing power at this point. We set forth the civil service procedure for termination," said Dabadie.
If convicted, the charges carry up to five years in jail, with a one year minimum.
"To indict one of your own, police officers, it's just not a good situation, but we have to do what's right for everybody regardless of who they are," said Moore.
Bolden's attorney, John DiGiulio, said his client will plead not-guilty. Wheeler's attorney, Harry Daniels, said his client will also plead not-guilty and that Wheeler was shocked by the indictment. It is unknown if Emerson has representation yet.