NEW ORLEANS—Alanah Odoms, Executive Director of the ACLU of Louisiana, has released the following statement in response to Governor Jeff Landry’s signing of HB 173. The bill seeks to criminalize approaching within twenty-five feet of a law enforcement officer engaged in official duties after the law enforcement officer has ordered the person to stop approaching or to retreat.
“The twenty-five-foot buffer legislation fundamentally seeks to curtail Louisianians' ability to hold police accountable for violence and misconduct. If law enforcement officers were operating in a manner that safeguarded the well-being and constitutional rights of the public, there should be no objection to being observed. Moreover, HB 173 is impractical to enforce consistently and will exacerbate tensions in any situation involving law enforcement. We denounce the passage and signing of this legislation and urge our communities to stay vigilant and safe in response to these developments.”
