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'Nobody holds them accountable' Louisiana troopers describe culture of nepotism and outright racism

“It’s no different than organized crime. They hang together. They eat together and ride at night together."

Associated Press, Jim Mustian, Jake Bleiberg

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Published: 6:14 AM CDT October 26, 2021
Updated: 6:34 AM CDT October 26, 2021

Growing up in the piney backwoods of northern Louisiana, where yards were dotted with crosses and the occasional Confederate flag, Jacob Brown was raised on hunting, fishing and dreams of becoming a state trooper.

But within weeks of arriving at the Louisiana State Police training academy in Baton Rouge, instructors pegged Brown as trouble. One wrote that he was an arrogant, chronic rule breaker with “toxic” character traits that should disqualify him from ever joining the state’s elite law enforcement agency.

Fortunately for Brown, the state police was known as a place where who you knew often trumped what you did, and where most introductory chats eventually got around to a simple question: Who’s your daddy?

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