What is Resisting an Officer in Louisiana?
Resisting an officer in New Orleans is the intentional interference with, opposition or resistance to, or obstruction of an individual acting in his official capacity and authorized by law to make a lawful arrest, lawful detention, or seizure of property or to serve any lawful process or court order when the offender knows or has reason to know that the person arresting, detaining, seizing property, or serving process is acting in his official capacity.
Definitions Resisting an Officer New Orleans
“Obstruction of” as used herein shall, in addition to its common meaning, signification, and connotation mean the following:
(a) Flight by one sought to be arrested before the arresting officer can restrain him and after notice is given that he is under arrest.
(b) Any violence toward or any resistance or opposition to the arresting officer after the arrested party is actually placed under arrest and before he is incarcerated in jail.
(c) Refusal by the arrested or detained party to give his name and make his identity known to the arresting or detaining officer or providing false information regarding the identity of such party to the officer.
(d) Congregation with others on a public street and refusal to move on when ordered by the officer.
(e) Knowing interference with a police cordon resulting from the intentional crossing or traversing of a police cordon by an unauthorized person or an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) “Drone”. The cordoned area includes the airspace above the cordoned area.
“Police cordon” means any impediment or structure erected or established by an officer for crowd or traffic control, or to prevent or obstruct the passage of a person at the scene of a crime or investigation.
“Impediment or structure” includes but is not limited to crime scene tape, rope, cable, wire or metal barricades, or the posting of uniformed officers or other personnel otherwise identifiable as law enforcement officers.
If the flight of a UAS into the cordoned area endangers the public or an officer’s safety, law enforcement personnel or fire department personnel are authorized to disable the UAS.
“Officer” as used herein means any peace officer, deputy sheriffs, municipal police officers, probation and parole officers, city marshals and deputies, and wildlife enforcement agents.
Penalty Resisting Arrest in Louisiana
Whoever commits the crime of resisting a police officer shall be fined not more than $500 or be imprisoned for 6 months, or both.
Legal Assistance
If you have been arrested for resisting a police officer in the New Orleans area, contact Louisiana criminal defense attorney Elizabeth B. Carpenter.
Disclaimer:
Laws and policies can change at any time rendering the above information outdated or non-applicable. We strongly encourage you to look at City, Parish, and State statutes for the most recent laws and to consult a Louisiana attorney.