The former Juneau Police Department officer who slammed a man to the ground during an arrest this summer will not face criminal charges.
The state’s Office of Special Prosecutions cleared former JPD Officer Brandon LeBlanc for his use of force during the arrest. The July incident, which was recorded by a witness, circulated widely online and prompted a public outcry.
The man arrested during the incident, whose family has publicly identified him as Christopher Williams, Jr., appeared to lie unconscious for the remainder of the video. He was later medevaced out of town.
Tuesday’s statement from the Office of Special Prosecutions says after a review of the evidence and an independent investigation conducted by the Alaska State Troopers’ Alaska Bureau of Investigation, the office determined “it would not criminally charge Officer LeBlanc for the incident.”
Following the July incident, Leblanc was placed on paid administrative leave. He later resigned from his position just a day before JPD released the body-worn camera footage of the arrest.
In a legal summary of the incident from Alaska Attorney General Stephen Cox, the office chastised the city for releasing the footage before the investigation was complete, saying it “indicates a lack of serious intent to allow for an independent review of the potential criminal charges.”
The office urged the city to reconsider its policy mandating that the Juneau Police Department release body-worn camera footage no more than 30 days after an incident.
In the letter, it stated that LeBlanc said he feared for his own safety during the incident and that he had been taught the “takedown maneuver” as part of training prior to his time in Alaska. He also told investigators that he thought he had learned a variation during a Department of Public Safety recertification training in 2024. But OSP says the technique was not taught during the training he attended.
Earlier this month, Juneau Police Chief Derek Bos said the department is taking action to reform its policies after conducting an internal investigation of the incident. He defended the department’s hiring of LeBlanc during a presentation to the Juneau Assembly in late September, saying he firmly believes that LeBlanc is “a good officer who made a very bad mistake.”
A man previously sued LeBlanc for excessive force and battery while he served as an officer in Louisiana. A jury found LeBlanc not guilty.
