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Bicyclist struck by BRPD officer traveling 83 mph in a 25-mph zone sues cop, agency, city
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BATON ROUGE — A bicyclist struck by a Baton Rouge Police officer last March filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the officer, BRPD and the city of Baton Rouge, alleging their negligence caused his injuries.
Dwayne Washington was hit while riding on Louise Street near Thomas H. Delpit Drive on March 16, 2025. Officer Stefan Jones was traveling at 83 mph in a stretch of Louise Street that has a 25 mph speed limit, and was distracted by his cell phone.
Video obtained by the WBRZ Investigative Unit shows the moment Jones hit Washington. In the video, Jones can be seen on his phone while speeding down the street, moments before the crash. Washington suffered multiple shattered bones, a brain bleed and had to stay in the hospital for four months, undergoing multiple surgeries.
Wednesday morning, attorneys representing the Washington family gathered at the intersection where the wreck happened to hold a press conference announcing the lawsuit.
"I think if any one of us was on video holding our phone up like this as we're driving going 83 mph and we struck a civilian we would certainly be charged," said Meghan Matt.
Internal investigators cleared Jones of any wrongdoing, and he didn't receive any discipline from the department.
Jones resigned from BRPD last month before a pre-disciplinary hearing concerning a sexual battery arrest in which he was caught on security camera brushing his hand along a gas station employee's backside.
According to documents obtained by the Investigative Unit, he had been disciplined for serious conduct violations in the past--including pulling his taser to intimidate drunken college kids, and fabricating military orders to get time off.
"If he had been properly dismissed after the second class three violation, women would have never been sexually victimized and Mr. Washington would never had to endure this horrible event that has changed his life forever."
Washington's lawyers say Jones' resignation allows him to avoid the stigma of having a termination on his record.
"The bad apples of the police department leave the department and just go find a place somewhere else and often get to carry on in their bad acts in another parish with other community people."
Baton Rouge Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The WBRZ Investigative Unit obtained footage from Jones' body-worn camera through a public records request. Initially, the department handed over video that was completely blurred, but after the station's lawyers got involved, the department handed over unredacted footage.
While it was determined that Jones, who had his lights activated as he responded to a call, had a green light, the officer's body camera shows that he was looking up something on his phone right before the crash. And after Jones exits the patrol car, the voice of a woman he was on the phone with can be heard.
Chief TJ Morse said the internal investigators determined Jones was not distracted by the cell phone and was looking up the location for the call he was responding to.
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