On this episode of State Ball, we check
in with the Monroe Police Department
when they get a call about a man holding
another gentleman hostage. What will MPD
find?
The reason
to you, but I cannot go to [ __ ] jail.
The reason you're going to jail is that
man said you intimidated him.
a lie.
You threatened bodily harm if he didn't
take you where he wanted to go.
is a lie.
He was going to take you to the police
department, but he was afraid you would
realize what he was doing and you would
hurt him on the way. He's an old man.
His hand was doing this right
This gentleman is a [ __ ]
Put that
State boys, by the camera footage from
the Louisiana State Police, multiple
sheriff offices, and city police.
Washington Parish, on October 26, 2021,
an officer with the Monroe Police
Department responds to a call about a
man being held hostage. The officer will
talk to the suspect, Brandon Crawford,
and the owners of the store to find out
the problem.
What's going on, my man?
I'm trying to sell this gold, um
Me and my ride just showed up, you know
what I mean? Um
This is the Orient place, sir. I'm not
doing nothing wrong.
All right, so what did they call us up
here for? What's going on?
Uh
I don't know, sir. I was
simply
I paid somebody to take me up here.
All right, sorry to interrupt. Let me
check with you real quick.
Sorry to interrupt.
Hey, there. What's going on?
He uh that's his truck. I called the
police. He asked me to call the police.
Okay. So, do you know him?
Mhm.
You don't know him at all?
hopped in the bed of his truck.
So, he just hopped in the bed of your
truck?
Hey, you He asked you to give him a ride
over and you just went
Okay. I got you.
Is he still in the vehicle?
He keep getting He don't know him at
all. He keeps trying to get in there.
Hey, my man.
Look, the thing is he doesn't know you.
You just pretty much forced your way in
the back of your truck. So, whatever you
He doesn't know you. He said he wasn't
trying to give you a ride or anything
like that. He just had to take you. So,
I said, "Sir, I will pay you to take me
to the Orion place." I said there
And he said that you uh
He doesn't know you at all any of that.
Like he said, you just hopped in the
back of that won't get out and won't get
out the back of his truck.
Okay, sir. That is not true.
I ran into him at his house.
And why are we debating this? The man
said he
I said I want you in the truck.
I don't I said nothing. All you had to
do was
I didn't want him to think that I just
got in the back of somebody's truck.
Nobody called the nobody for nothing.
The man said he don't want you in the
truck.
All right.
What's yours and what is his and how do
we know whose is what?
I'm going to call him my own. That's
your uh
The officer's been questioning Brandon
about the gold items that he has to make
sure they're not stolen.
Somebody is over there making sure he's
grabbing what's his off of your truck.
10-21 602 on a sale when you're finished
there.
Yeah, we're going to get done here.
I'm sorry brother. I tried to get rid of
you but you wouldn't go.
I just didn't know what was yours and
what was his.
No, no, I just didn't want to take it.
Brandon, where did you get all that
stuff from?
I
checked out of the hotel.
And the checkout time it was at 11. I
mean
All that gold stuff, where did you get
all that gold stuff?
I've been had this gold stuff.
You didn't have it when I put you in
jail.
bag, did I? Did
Yeah, you did.
I went and got it back. They had it in
the back
but I had an iPad and some other things.
No, you did. You didn't have an iPad,
you didn't have all that gold stuff, you
didn't have none of that when I searched
you. You was homeless when we talked.
Where did all that stuff come from?
homeless. I'm just in between hotels
because I just
Nobody's pointing the finger at your
living situation. I just simply asked a
question.
I was saying
back then
where did you get the gold stuff?
I've been had it, sir.
You didn't have it when you had that
bag. You just said I had it in my bag
but I didn't have your bag when I
arrested you. You remember that
conversation?
Okay.
No, no, no. We had that conversation.
Like I had a place in Oklahoma
but you were saying
You're avoiding the obvious question.
My grandmother passed
Where did you get the gold?
From the house. It is mine.
4,000. I said I went to the house today.
Look at that.
I got
Look at that. That's where your stuff is
written down last time we talked.
Right.
What's your uncle's name?
What's your uncle's name, Brandon?
Vincent Crawford.
Vincent?
I'm going to go to his house right now.
right now. I'm going to go
So, we called him
and we going to come back to your uncle.
Would you call it for me, sir, right
now?
2438
I mean, I appreciate it.
him. I'm trying to help you out. I
didn't put you in jail for burglary last
time. That lady wanted you to.
She had video of you in her backyard
behind her privacy fence.
You were on hard times, I get it. But,
you had warrants. You went to jail on
warrants. So, I overlooked that
burglary. Here we are again. I asked you
where you get this from. You said You
had it last time. No, you didn't.
You know how many trinkets I got? You
know how many souvenirs and
I mean, when I
Nobody's calling you a liar.
on Mulberry Street.
Help me. Help me.
They took all of my things from where
they stole
none of this.
Because I went to the house to get
What's that number?
This was your
It's 318-08.
Area code 318. You know, I was
originally from Ouachita Parish.
So, we going to call him and we going to
say that you camera got
You calling that right now? I don't
know.
Uh my things are outside under the
porch.
Literally. Like, when you pull up
So, we going to ask him if he missing
all four four golden button eyes and a a
golden earring.
Golden button eyes?
Why you at the pawn shop?
That's what those you got right there.
Because I'm trying to sell my gold.
I I
Ain't no one going to buy them if it's
not gold.
It is gold.
So, that's what he's saying.
Your uncle's going to say that these
gold button eyes
belong to you from that place.
I'm going to call him. I'm calling him.
I mean
Here's what I'm going to do.
Yeah.
He just wants you to
Don't take no pictures. I want I don't
care if you take as many as you want.
But, I want you to call them and tell
them
Brandon. You keep ignoring me. I told
you I'm trying to give you the benefit
of the doubt. I mean, I can hear you.
I'm assuming you're telling me the
truth, but you're not listening. There's
a difference hearing and listening.
I mean, I'm sure you don't trust me,
sir.
It has nothing to do with that.
record, I wouldn't trust me. But, I've
changed.
You know what I know about your record?
Tell me about
You got arrested on some traffic
warrants a couple weeks ago. That's
about the extent I know of you.
But I know who we are and who you
I'll treat you respectfully and just
like I am now.
Just like I said, I'm giving you the
benefit of the doubt.
You're going to put this stuff back in
and go wherever it is Brandon wants to
go. And I'm going to go to 4001 and I'm
going to verify your story.
Okay.
So I don't have to go all the way to the
east. Would you bring simply call my
uncle and put him on speaker phone?
No, you're going to gather your stuff.
We're not talking about you coming with
us.
You're going to gather all your stuff
and you're going to go wherever Brandon
goes.
That's what you're going to do.
And we're going to get out of your
business.
Just like you want us out of your
business.
You got involved and I only want you to
know
that's how
I want you to get your stuff and go
Brandon.
That's what I want.
Hey bro.
I did.
I ain't wrapping this stuff.
What's up?
What was your grandma's name?
I don't know.
I'm asking
What was your grandma's name?
Some people just don't want to
This just happened a couple of
days ago a week ago.
Because just like me, this man's going
to have compassion cuz if he grew up in
Booker T, I'm sure he knew who your
grandmother was.
That's how
Hey player.
He lied on his stuff.
He didn't lie on you.
I tried.
I didn't know Brandon
He's many grown.
Oh.
Thank you, Brandon.
104801, 10-2.
10-2.
You
After letting Brandon leave the scene,
the officers talked to the victim to get
more of the story and the trajectory of
the situation changed.
You thought the same thing I did?
Jump the gun.
I would have said like, "Oh, no, come
back."
So, I searched that backpack last time
and there were no There was nothing of
any value in it. That's why I left it
there.
He was driving all kinds of pills or I'm
I got a porch. I was sitting on my porch
when he came up.
He was driving all kind of pills out
there. I don't know what kind they were.
Oh, lord.
I thought maybe I'll take his ass to
jail today.
Absolutely would have you wanted him to
go to jail.
I mean, we I don't mind a bit and we
would. I'm so happy we miscommunicated
that. I'd put his butt in jail for it.
Yeah.
Yeah, I would have did that. I figured,
you know, I
No, I'm
I was at my house and I I drove him down
here to get rid of him. That's why
Oh.
I was scared he's going to try to do
something.
We look, we're here for you. We do
whatever you want. No, when you said you
just wanted him out of your truck.
I apologize if No, we'd have put his
butt in jail.
I thought I said I I
I couldn't get rid of him, so
he have drove all the way from my house
here. Cuz he said this is where he
wanted to go. That's my way of getting
rid of him. Get him here.
Why?
You're in in an area
So, you weren't you didn't have any
business here.
I don't want to say anything. He He
asked me to bring him here, now.
Huh?
I was going to move and let him take him
somewhere in the public and go in. I was
going to drive off, but
then he'll be coming back by my house by
the jump back there.
Well, let me see your ID, if you don't
mind.
can keep it.
I'm going to write this up.
And I'll go find this button and I'll
put him in jail.
Yeah.
I don't want to feel like I was
kidnapped.
Well, I wish I'd have known all that
first part, cuz I assure you.
Yeah, when we going to roll today and
pick him up?
Take him against my will, you know.
Yeah. See if uh
how that works.
Tell him to go around there with you.
I just want to let the house get rid of
him.
We'll get him the phone.
I'll figure it out. Just go get him.
Hey, Walker.
I'm here.
Hey, that guy just rode off on a bike.
We're going to end up putting him in
jail. It's a miscommunication with the
victim here.
Singleton's going to find him.
Yeah, Singleton just riding east on
Stokes about third.
So, when he come to your house, you felt
threatened like you felt like you didn't
have an option but to put him in the
back of your truck.
Yeah.
All right.
I tried to get rid of him that way.
I would have.
On a follow-up.
I looked around on my porch to try to
find something to hit him with.
Cuz I was
I was about tired of him. He was talking
crazy and cussing and talking about he
could
He ain't going to hurt me. He could hurt
me, but
He said that?
Something about shooting and
He said, "I ain't going to hurt you but
I can.
Yeah, something similar.
I'm a older man.
You know.
I was on
I apologize when officer come out he
just I said what's the deal? He said he
just wants him out of back his truck so
That's what I thought we was doing. No,
I absolutely we
That's what our job is to work for you
guys.
I come out
What's your social?
430
Give me some time to think about it
there. I'm going to be I'm going to be
ready for him though.
Well, he going to be in OCC when he
So, you ain't got no business here,
right?
No, no, no. I don't know that didn't
know the place existed.
Once I leave you're
leave you I don't I don't want you to
stay here in case that boy does circle
around
later. I'm going to call you whenever we
find him. Let you know.
All right, you doing that.
All right, it's all about the
miscommunication. I
I said we under the pressure you just
wanted him out of back of your truck but
no if he had to made all them threats
Yeah, no.
I mean like you you said it yourself.
You felt like you was kidnapped.
You know, like you had no choice but to
do what he said otherwise he going to
hurt you.
Okay.
All right, well let me go see if I can
find him.
That that would have been that would
have been classic right there.
And you could have called us on the way
and let us know we was pulling up.
Yeah, I know.
I thought maybe he would make me wreck
or something.
I was kind of scared about
Was he hollering at you when he was
driving?
No.
Was it
Oh, yeah.
What was he saying when you were
driving?
He was and all, blasting my radio.
And uh
All his papers
Was he inside with you?
Yeah, he was in there.
Oh, I thought he was in the back.
Oh, no, no. He come out He was getting
his stuff out and
when I went in told him call the police.
Mike 12, can I have a 50?
So, he was turning your radio up,
blasting your radio?
Yeah, I didn't I don't blast it.
Did it Was he threatening you when you
were driving?
He was cussing, saying something same
thing. I couldn't put you but I ain't
We brothers and
just
Well, I can tell your demeanor now it
kind of distraughts you. I mean, I
Yeah.
It upset me, too.
Well, I didn't know what I didn't want
to hurt him.
No, no.
That there that green thing in there?
Oh, yeah.
I would
bang it in the back of my truck at the
house there when it was happening. So, I
could have hit him but I didn't.
I
I said I might have to but
he said it would take me
554
Got it.
Got all in the truck, took him in
I was felt better when he put all them
bags on the back of his truck.
I didn't see no injuries, no damage to
the tire or the back of his TV in the
silver truck.
I said something.
Going in his back, I said you ain't got
no gun, do you?
No injuries.
Yeah, last time he didn't have no gun.
He didn't have anything. He never stole
dirty drawers.
There was nothing of any value in there
whatsoever.
That ain't the point. It's the
principle.
Yes, sir.
And even more so that I feel like
we dropped the ball on this. Just
miscommunication cuz
uh
Yeah, that's okay then. I didn't explain
myself that right.
But
I should have thought of something to
get going.
Yeah, cuz we didn't
the way the call come out of the radio,
you were here and the guy jumped in the
back.
457155
I thought you had business here.
All the way from uh
From your house all the way all the way
to here?
I'm sitting on the porch out there
relaxing.
And playing with my
That's my home here.
He come up on top.
You know, naturally you going to see
what the person want.
We start talking. Now he telling me
stuff and I tell him, "Look, I ain't got
no cash. I ain't got no money."
I got my own talk. But he wouldn't
listen.
He wouldn't listen. I was saying I
couldn't get a word in. He just all that
boobity crazy and
you know.
Yes, sir.
Look, the boy is on something.
Yeah.
Yeah, well he shouldn't act like that
with y'all.
Not much.
Hey,
he still ain't acting right. He won't to
really hear
Uh-huh.
what a normal person like.
He should know from last time.
I ain't here to
He need to be put away for a little bit.
Get a rehab.
Yes. Let me go help these boys look for
him real quick. Go in the house. If you
see him though, you call the police.
Just don't even fool with him. But I'mma
find him. He ain't far.
Since the victim said he was kidnapped,
the officers tracked Brandon down.
And I've known you for like for what?
Like 13, 14 years or better, right?
Yeah, if not longer.
Uh,
he was standing right here about
So, this officer going to talk to you.
All right.
All right, first I'm going to take this
off for you. I'm going to advise you of
your right to remain silent. Anything
you say can and will be used against you
in a court of law. You have a right to a
present attorney during questioning. If
you cannot afford one, one will be
appointed to you at the court's expense.
You can stop answering questions at any
point in time. Do you understand the
rights I've advised you of and read to
you?
Yes, sir.
Okay.
Man, what did I do now, man?
I didn't
of this off of him first.
Yep.
Take all of this off, Brandon.
And just
I knew he couldn't have gone far.
Man asked what I did now, bro.
Hang on, Brandon.
I'm going to tell you everything to you.
You didn't give that man an option to
get a ride.
That is a lie, bro. Okay, tell his
girlfriend
If you didn't give him a ride
OMG, sir.
He didn't want to have to hurt him, but
you you left him no choice.
I said, I wouldn't do nothing like that.
That's not even my MO.
You look at my record.
Brandon, you asked. I told you.
Sir,
um that is not what happened, sir.
I did not do that, sir.
He said you tried to sell him all kind
of stuff. He said he wasn't interested.
He said when you going to give me a ride
to the other place
I told you he was trying to hurt me
anyway. I mean, I told you that up
front. I did not do that. Call his
girlfriend. She said they didn't talk to
me.
How was he there by himself? No, I have
witnesses.
Hey, sir, you don't have to hold me up
or nothing. I'm not like drowsy or
nothing.
you. I don't know what you do.
I mean
Calm down. I ain't doing nothing to you.
I'm not bugging or anything. I just
don't know why you are doing this right
here.
I just got to make sure you don't run
away.
But that ain't true. You know I wouldn't
do nothing like that.
I don't know you like that.
I mean, look at my jail record.
I don't know what you
do with this.
Wait.
That's it.
I'm not I don't do stuff like that, sir.
That's all I'm saying. And I'm asking
you to
All I'm saying is that's a lie. I
wouldn't do no [ __ ] like that. And if
that was the case, why wouldn't he say
that up front? He didn't say that's what
happened. No, he did not, sir.
Obviously.
He did.
After talking to the old man, he's like,
man, I kind of thought y'all was going
to arrest him. I'm like, "But you told
him you were going
just told me. I just wanted him on my
truck.
He said, "Well, I did." He said, "But
hell, I feel like he kidnapped me." I
said, "What do you mean?"
Sitting on my front porch, minding my
own business, dude come up trying to
sell me stuff.
I told him I wasn't going to buy it.
He's like, "Well, take me to the wrong
place." He's like, "Man, I ain't taking
you to the wrong place." "I'll give you
money." He's like, "Well, I'm not taking
you anywhere."
He blows his way in the back of the
truck, sits in the passenger side,
"You're going to take me. So, I'm either
going to hurt you or you're going to
take me."
Oh, hell.
where he didn't mention that at first
when I was talking to him. You know what
I'm saying?
him. I was like, he's like, "I'm scared
he's going to like to hurt me now." I'm
like, "You know what?
No, let's fix this right now."
Well, when you called when you said you
were looking for him, you said Indian
blood, little Indian. And I started
circling around and I get here and I was
coming up and he was over here at
that apartment door.
So, I said, "You didn't tell him you
could get in this car." He's like, "No,
he got in there anyway." He said, "The
whole way here, he's blasting the radio,
playing all this [ __ ] dancing around
like he's on something crazy." He's
like, "I was scared he was going to do
what he was going to hurt me if I didn't
do what he said." He said, "I started
driving to the police department. But I
figured he would figure out what I was
doing and hurt me. So, I figured my best
thing was just to drive here and go
inside and call y'all."
And I'm like, "You did it right then."
He had nothing.
Now he's got all this [ __ ]
Brendan, did that bullet fall out of
your bag?
No, ain't no damn bullet fell out my
bag.
Well, that's why I'm asking you.
Listen, sir. Before you take me to jail
for something else I didn't do, bro, can
you just talk to me a minute? Like,
would you, sir? Like, I told
Why should I listen to you? You don't
want to listen to what I'm saying. You
don't like the reason.
to you, but I cannot go to [ __ ] jail.
The reason you're going to jail is that
man said you intimidated him.
lie.
You threatened bodily harm if he didn't
take you where he wanted to go.
a lie.
He was going to take you to the police
department, but he was afraid you would
realize what he was doing and you would
hurt him on the way. He's an old man.
His hands was doing this number as he
was talking to me.
a black man. I
I'm not. I'm judging by what that black
man said that black man did. So, don't
bring [ __ ] race into this. He said he
wanted you to go to jail for what you
did to him. Period.
nothing to him ever.
How did you get up here then?
I said, "Sir, would you take me to the
orange place?"
no a dozen times until you threatened to
hurt him and then he had no other option
but to take you.
Sir, you talked to me first.
Take it up to him.
So, why would he have no reason to lie
about me telling you this before you
just end my life?
Cuz he was scared shitless to talk about
it in front of you.
That's where we're going and that's why
you're going for. Have a seat.
On the ride to jail, the officer and
Brandon have a back and forth from their
points of views of what happened.
The dude and that's what compelled me
cuz as he was talking he was smoking a
cigarette. I'm like, "Are you okay?" And
he's like, "I'm just afraid of what he's
going to do when he comes back." And I'm
like,
"We could have put him in jail." And
he's like, "I wish I would." And I was
like, "You know what? We'll fix that."
He's like, "I felt like he kidnapped
me."
Brandon, we tried to talk. We talked out
there. That man was genuinely scared to
death. His hand
His hand You're telling me that I didn't
see what I saw. That that man's hand
wasn't shaking.
We sat there and talked, sir,
in the truck for
And the cameras outside can prove it.
Brandon, I'm not locking you up. That
man's making a complaint and I'm only
following through with that complaint.
If you run the cameras back, we sat in
the truck and just sat beside of me. He
said then was like, "Give me your phone
number." And wrote my number down. If
you with me, like looking at me
451019
got my number because he
45720
and buy a tablet or something.
But I wasn't just going to give it to
him.
You're not hearing what I said.
I'm saying it's
The man was scared to death.
I don't need to run cameras. I talked to
a human being who said he's scared to
death. I could look at him. His hand was
shaking so bad he couldn't even smoke a
cigarette.
Why would that man magically just want
to make up a lie and put you in jail?
He tried to get you to leave. You
wouldn't.
I had a one dispatch. We're 10-15 or I'm
10-15 from this call.
The uh Stubbs and North 6th.
That's what police do.
It has nothing to do with any of that. I
take each situation at hand.
Situation at hand is is I got a victim
who is very threatened and very
intimidated on how you treated him.
During booking into jail, Brandon had a
burnt marijuana blunt and 3 g of crystal
meth in his socks. Brandon Crawford was
charged with 2nd degree kidnapping,
carjacking, possession of a schedule 1,
and possession of a schedule 2. On March
16th, 2023, Brandon Crawford was
sentenced to 5 years at hard labor for
possession of methamphetamines and the
carjacking was amended to unauthorized
use of a motor vehicle and he was
sentenced to 2 years at hard labor and
these sentences will run consecutively.
Show ain't fair.
You got me in a situation that's all
[ __ ] up.
No, [ __ ] you. You tried every excuse in
the world.
[ __ ] tried to hate on me and lock me
up for no reason.
What you doing right now is a [ __ ] me,
so [ __ ] you.
Real talk, I curse you and your family.
Real talk, curse.
I left my feelings at the house.
This call you going to burn.
You ain't no [ __ ] man.
Come on.
Hello, sir. I'm finna get out of here.
You finna get the [ __ ] out.
tripping. Go on, beat me. Go on, drag me
out. You heard me?
Say that in front of camera.
I ain't tripping, man.
Say it. No, say all that [ __ ] you saying
in front of camera.
You grabbing on me and [ __ ] man.
Because I don't This ain't on your
timetable.
like I said, you
real tall.
What's real? I ain't heard of
I'm a man. I just need your name.
This 911, go [ __ ] yourself.
Man, I ain't tripping. That's all good.
I just need your name.
You've been tripping the whole [ __ ]
way.
Man, [ __ ] you.
We got a live one here. All cops are
going to burn in hell.
badge number. I need your badge number.
going to burn in hell.
The last three times I've been in here,
it's been the same cop. If you look at
my charges, it's been bogus [ __ ] every
time.
What's your name?
I'm Brandon Crawford, bro. He harassing
me. I just got out of here. He keep
locking me up for bogus [ __ ] Look at
the last two three charges, it's been
him.
Can I say
They let me go. I just I just need his
um badge number.
It'll be on the arrest after David
Brandon.
It ain't no arrest.
Yes, it is.