JPD releases name of officer being investigated after violent arrest

Brandon LeBlanc is on administrative leave; found not at fault in use-of-force lawsuit stemming from 2013 incident in Louisiana

Juneau Police Department Officer Brandon LeBlanc restrains Christopher Williams Jr. near the Douglas Public Library on Wednesday, July 30, 2025. Williams was injured after being thrown to the sidewalk by LeBlanc, whose actions are now being investigated. (Screenshot from video by Ibn Bailey)

By Mark Sabbatini

Juneau Independent

A Juneau Police Department officer being investigated for throwing a man to a sidewalk during an arrest was identified Thursday as Brandon LeBlanc, a 17-year law enforcement veteran who was previously found not at fault in a use-of-force civil lawsuit in Louisiana.

LeBlanc, hired by JPD in August of 2024, is on paid administrative leave following his apprehension of Christopher Williams Jr., 49, on July 30, 2025. In an encounter filmed and shared widely on social media, LeBlanc threw Williams to the sidewalk outside the Douglas Public Library, with a JPD press release stating "Williams resisted and was taken to the ground."

Williams was flown to an Anchorage hospital where he was treated for head and other injuries. Family members of Williams and other local residents have protested that LeBlanc’s actions were excessive, and stated such treatment by police toward Alaska Native people is common.

Police and court records state the incident began with Marisa Didrickson, 47, who is Alaska Native, yelling racist slurs at Ibn Bailey, 52, who is Black, in front of the library. Police responding to the scene told Williams not to intervene and he became aggressive toward LeBlanc, who then tried to detain him while standing at the back of a patrol car, according to JPD.

Bailey, who filmed the widely-seen interaction between LeBlanc and Williams, has defended JPD’s response to the incident, stating he felt threatened by Didrickson’s and Williams’ actions.

"The Juneau Police Department has requested and was granted assistance from an outside law enforcement agency to lead an investigation into the officer’s use of force in this incident," a statement issued by JPD on Thursday notes. "This investigation is still ongoing. Once the agency concludes its investigation, the State of Alaska Office of Special Prosecutions will review the case to determine whether the use of force was consistent with AS.11.81.370. Officer LeBlanc remains on administrative leave while the use of force is under investigation."

Bodycam footage of the incident will be made public, including being posted on the JPD website, on Aug. 29 to comply with a new city policy, according to the statement.

A lawsuit was filed against LeBlanc when he was an officer with the City of Gretna Police Department in Louisiana due to his alleged role in a July 31, 2013, traffic stop involving multiple officers. The plaintiff asserted his jaw was broken during a struggle with another officer, and LeBlanc subsequently "used excessive force and committed battery" by tasing him while multiple officers were trying to handcuff him. A jury ruled in LeBlanc’s favor.

• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.