FORDOCHE, La. — A Louisiana farm owner faces several criminal charges after opening fire at migrant workers who asked for food and water, according to sheriff's office records.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Glynn Rivet, the owner of a 6,000-acre sugarcane and soybean farming business outside of Baton Rouge, refused to give migrant workers water or food — which they were entitled to have.
The June shooting happened near a sugarcane loading site in Fordoche, Louisiana, according to a Pointe Coupee Sheriff's Office report.
Deputies with the PCSO were sent to respond to reports of the shooting around 1:45 p.m. on June 8
Workers told deputies that the farm owner said, "You don't need water. Drink from the ditch if you're thirsty," according to the report.
After that response, the workers called Rivet's son, who then brought the workers water.
"That upset Mr.Rivet," the report said.
According to a report from the Department of Labor, Rivet then yelled obscenities at the workers, threatened them with several firearms, and opened fire.
The DOL then filed for a restraining order to keep Rivet, the corporation he owns or anyone acting on their behalf from retaliating against current or former employees or their families.
A second court motion was filed to keep Rivet from carrying a firearm within 5,000 feet of current, former, or prospective migrant workers. The motion also keeps Rivet from speaking to the workers directly or indirectly, and he must stay 1,500 feet away from the workers.
The DOL also asked the court to make the farm comply with OSHA standards which require cool potable drinking water, toilets and handwashing facilities.
The workers gave PCSO several videos of the incident and signed a written statement about the shooting.
The weather in that area was as hot as 86 degrees with little to no clouds, according to weather.com.
According to the PCSO, Rivet was charged with four counts of aggravated assault with a firearm and one count of illegal use of weapons.
