Former Police Officer in Louisiana Charged with Civil Rights Violation for Sexual Assault

Louisiana — On September 22, 2022, the U.S. Justice Department filed a bill of information charging Rodney Vicknair, 55, a former police officer with the New Orleans Police Department, with sexually assaulting a victim in violation of that victim’s constitutional rights.

According to the bill of information, on September 23, 2020, the defendant, while operating under the color of law as a police officer, wilfully violated the victim’s right to bodily integrity by engaging in sexual behavior without her consent and a valid law enforcement purpose.

The statement was made by Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans for the Eastern District of Louisiana.

The matter was investigated by the FBI New Orleans Field Office and the New Orleans Police Department Public Integrity Bureau. The case is being prosecuted by Criminal Chief Tracey Knight of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana and Special Litigation Counsel Fara Gold of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.

A bill of information is only an allegation; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.