LAFAYETTE, La. — A Louisiana police chief has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges relating to civil rights violations. The allegations state that Chief Luis Enrique Padilla, also referred to as Louis Padilla, utilized excessive force while detaining an individual, resulting in injuries. This incident reportedly occurred on December 1, 2023, during an ongoing investigation, as according to announcements from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana.

The indictment claims that Padilla unlawfully handcuffed the individual and aggressively manipulated their thumb and wrist, causing physical harm. Following the indictment, Padilla was taken into custody. He made a court appearance on Tuesday in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Carol B. Whitehurst, where he pleaded not guilty. Subsequently, he was released on a $30,000 bond under certain conditions, including the stipulation of no contact with the alleged victim or witnesses, as well as a prohibition on firearm possession.

A representative from the Sunset Police Department declined to comment on Padilla’s arrest, and further inquiries about his job status were met with a disconnection from the call. The Federal Public Defender’s Office has been assigned to represent Padilla, although no one was available to provide additional information about the case on Wednesday.

Should he be found guilty, Padilla could face a maximum prison sentence of ten years. His law enforcement career includes his initial term as police chief in Sunset, located in St. Landry Parish, from 1999 until 2002, when he lost to Alexcie Guillory. Padilla later returned to run for the position in 2014, winning with 53% of the vote. During his campaign, he was arrested on charges of impersonating a police officer for allegedly claiming to be the Sunset police chief. Nevertheless, after his electoral victory in the runoff, the prosecution chose to drop the charges against him, according to reports.