Mugshot of Brian Laurent. Photo Credit: THE VIRGIN ISLANDS POLICE DEPARTMENT
ST. THOMAS — A man who said he was having “a bad day” when police stopped him for a missing front plate ended up getting arrested for assaulting a police officer.
Officers of the V.I. Police Department were conducting traffic stops on Frenchman Bay Cove around 5:30pm, near the Frenchman Bay Cove intersection. They saw a blue Honda Civic making a right turn onto Frenchman Bay Road, heading north towards Havensight.
With no license plate in the front, the Civic was pulled over, and police told the driver, Brian Laurent that he was being stopped because of the plate and because he was not wearing a seatbelt. At that time, Laurent reportedly became “agitated,” accusing officers of harassing him after the bad day that he’d had.
Police reportedly informed him that they smelled marijuana, and asked the 34-year-old St. Thomas resident to exit the vehicle. Laurent reportedly swore at officers, asking them whether they did not have anything better to do. He refused multiple requests to exit the vehicle, until police decided to physically remove him, and arrest him for delaying and obstructing an officer.
The arresting officer reported that Laurent hit him “several strikes to [his] chest area” with his forearm and closed fist, and resisted arrest until he was threatened with a taser. Then, Laurent exited the vehicle but began resisting again when police tried to pat him down. They resorted to putting him on the ground to conduct their search, after which he was taken to the Richard Callwood Command.
There, he was charged with aggravated assault on an officer, as well as delaying and obstructing.
In court on Friday, Laurent was released on his own recognizance, with no requirement for a third-party custodian. While the matter is pending, he is restricted to the St. Thomas/St. John district unless he has the court’s written permission to travel further afield. He must have no contact with witnesses or victims, and must report to the probation office every week by telephone.
