APD addresses tasing after social media backlash

ALEXANDRIA, La. (KALB) – Alexandria police responded on Monday to the tasing and arrest of an Alexandria man over the weekend.

Cellphone videos are circulating on social media, but the police chief said they don’t tell the whole story.

APD held a press conference on the incident, showing bodycam video and answering questions. You can watch that full conference and bodycam footage above.

Police said they responded to the Valero Gas Station on MacArthur Drive at Texas Avenue in the early morning hours of Sunday, September 13, after a store clerk reported a large crowd trespassing on private property.

Chief Chad Gremillion said the store owner had a “No Trespassing” letter on file with the Alexandria Police Department.

“It’s a letter that the private property owner signs, allowing us to act on their behalf, to move people who are trespassing and are not patrons, and are just standing there creating problems, move them off their property,” Gremillion said.

The chief said the officers told the crowd they needed to leave or face arrest.

“This command was given loudly, and audible sirens were blasted to move the crowd,” Gremillion explained.

Body camera footage showed an officer approaching Trey Devon Rosenthal, 32. Gremillion said officers could smell alcohol when they approached Rosenthal. They asked for his identification, but APD said he refused to give it.

Gremillion said officers told Rosenthal 15 times that he was under arrest and to put his hands behind his back. He said after Rosenthal continued to resist, officers tased him.

“In order to safely place him into handcuffs, and prevent any injuries to Rosenthal, our officers, or anyone else,” Gremillion said.

The chief said Rosenthal pulled the wires from one of the tasers, and that’s when the situation escalated. Video shows Rosenthal throwing a punch at officers. He then fell to the ground after four officers used tasers on him.

“These officers acted as they were trained and within our use of force and our de-escalation policy,” Gremillion said.

Rosenthal was taken to the hospital, where the chief said he denied treatment and voluntarily submitted to an alcohol test. Gremillion said Rosenthal tested at .120 grams percent, which is above the legal limit for operating a vehicle.

Gremillion said APD will continue to be transparent, but he said social media posts can sometimes leave out important context.

“When agitators post things to social media and only reflect an interaction that they don’t perceive going their way, people only see a half-truth,” he said.

We asked Gremillion what his message is for the Alexandria community. He said APD will continue to constitutionally police the city and work to prevent violent crime.

“The community expects and deserves that, and that’s what we are going to deliver with,” Gremillion said.

Rosenthal, 32, was charged with aggravated resisting a police officer with force or violence, operating while intoxicated (first offense), resisting an officer and trespassing/remaining after forbidden. Bond was set at $7,000.

We asked Rosenthal on Monday if he was resisting arrest for trespassing. He said his lawyer advised him not to discuss the incident.

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