A Crowley man who was arrested for aggravated assault with a firearm says he was unjustly charged.

Crowley Police were called to a park where a baseball team was practicing.

According to reports from parents, the children were across the street from where Ben Bertrand was allegedly arguing loudly and using offensive language.  

One of the parents walked over to try to calm the situation, and that’s when it escalated.

Ben Bertrand says, “I know that the Louisiana law says that I have the right to stand my ground and I have the right to protect myself.”

Ben Bertrand says he’s upset he was arrested after a confrontation with another man on his property.

“We need to focus on the real issue this man threatened me and I was only defending myself,” adds Bertrand.

Surveillance video shows Bertrand walking away first.

“I’m coming to the door. I’m letting him know right there that I wasn’t cussing at anybody and he’s claiming that he heard me or something whatever it is. See he’s telling me.. how he’s gonna…See he throws his glasses off right there and he’s in my face. And see again I’m the one that walks away,” says Bertrand.

Chief Jimmy Broussard with the Crowley Police Department says it was difficult to clearly see the surveillance video at Bertrand’s house because of light behind the screen.

Chief Broussard says, “They couldn’t make out everything so they chose to just take it and refer it to the District Attorney’s office, but later when we were able to view the video at the police department, we did see he did pull out the weapon and came after the parent had walked away so there was no longer a threat.”

Bertrand was charged with aggravated assault with a firearm.

“Such was the cause of the arrest on his part for aggravated assault because he used a weapon and there was no threat because he used the weapon and there was no threat because the parent had walked away by that time,” Chief Broussard adds.

Bertrand says, “I know what I was doing.. I was protecting myself and that’s the bottom line and I feel like this is unjust.”

Chief Broussard said he found out about this incident through social media. He urges others who feel something else should have been done to contact law enforcement directly.