OPELOUSAS, La (KLFY) — The St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office arrested an Opelousas lawyer on Friday after he was stopped for making an illegal right turn, according to a press release from the SLPSO.
Donovan K. Hudson, 59, of Opelousas, was arrested on Friday, May 14 on charges of resisting an officer by force or violence, driving on roadway laned for traffic, careless operation of a motor vehicle, and signal lamps required.
Hudson was transported to the St. Landry Parish Jail and is held on a $2,250 bond.
An SLPSO deputy was stopped at a traffic light at the I-49 Service Road and Creswell Lane intersection when an SUV, driven by Hudson, stopped in the left turn-only lane next to the deputy. The SUV ran the red light and crossed the right lane to make an illegal right turn. No turn signal was used, and the SUV crossed in front of the deputy and another motorist before heading west on Creswell Lane.
When the light turned green, the deputy followed the SUV and conducted a traffic stop on Jake Dr. Hudson was told to get out of his vehicle and stand at the rear of his car while the deputy returned to his unit to perform a license and insurance check.
Hudson allegedly began pacing back and forth, then went to the driver’s side of the SUV and reached inside.
The deputy gave commands to Hudson to return to the rear of the SUV, which Hudson ignored. The deputy exited his unit and again gave commands for Hudson to return to the back of the SUV.
Hudson then began to make racist comments to the deputy and made aggressive movement toward the deputy. Hudson then tried to return to the SUV and put his left hand in his front pants pocket.
The deputy restrained Hudson’s left hand because it was unclear whether there was a weapon in his pocket. When the deputy tried to restrain both of Hudson’s hands, Hudson pulled his hands away and began to resist, and continued to shout at the officer.
After several warnings, the deputy drew his tazer and again told Hudson to calm down. The deputy holstered the tazer, and attempted to handcuff Hudson again. Hudson resisted again and refused to comply with the deputy.
The deputy deployed the tazer, which was ineffective. Huson continued to resist until the deputy was able to restrain both of his hands.
Officers with the Opelousas Police Department arrived to assist the deputy, and Hudson continued to use racial comments toward the deputy.
The entire incident was captured on the deputy’s dashboard camera.
Sheriff Guidroz said, “If you are stopped for a traffic violation or subject to an arrest, it is imperative that you comply with the officer’s commands. If you feel the officer acted unprofessionally, you should contact the agency to file your grievance. Resisting arrest is not safe for the deputy or yourself. Additionally, everyone should know most law-enforcement officers today are equipped with dash board and body cameras to ensure the safety of the civilians, the accuracy of the incident, and the accountability and professionalism of the deputy. Those are the primary reasons why I insist our deputies adhere to policies and procedures concerning the use of audio and video equipment.”
“I viewed the dashcam video of the entire incident and I can say my deputy was professional, polite, patient, and attempted several times to de-escalate the incident,” Guidroz continued. “This was a simple traffic stop that could have been resolved very quickly if only the motorist would have obeyed simple instructions.”