Activists are closely monitoring the case of a Webster Parish man who recently died from injuries sustained in a fight in downtown Shreveport, Louisiana, in January. Christopher Temple, a white man, was involved in an altercation with 25-year-old Black man Trevor Moses on January 26. Despite a video of the fight reportedly showing Temple as the primary aggressor, Moses has been charged with the crime. The case has raised concerns about the criminalization of Black men and the dynamics of white fragility.
Moses was originally charged with second-degree battery after defending himself outside of a nightclub in Shreveport, Louisiana, but after Temple died, further charges can potentially be brought up.
The video of the altercation shows Moses standing outside of the nightclub and engaging in a verbal argument with a group of white women. The women screamed at Moses and pointed their fingers in his face, but Temple led the women away and then suddenly hit Moses in the head, as seen in the video. Moses fell to the ground and Temple continued to hit him as he was on the ground.
Although the next moments of the fight were not caught on camera, Newsone reported that Moses hit Temple in the face, causing the 43-year-old white man to fall and hit his head on the concrete.
Temple was unconscious on the scene and after being transported to the hospital, Temple had surgery for his head injury. He was in hospice until Feb. 15, when he succumbed to the injuries sustained in his fight with Moses.
According to KSLA News, Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith and Cpl. Chris Bordelon watched a video of Temple and Moses fighting. Bordelon said the department was aware of the discourse surrounding the case.
He stated, “We’re very aware of what the public is saying; obviously, this is a complicated matter. You have an incident that occurs where this man [Moses] is obviously the victim. He’s struck first, and then he returns later and another incident ensues, ultimately resulting in the death of that individual. And at this point in time, he has not been charged with the death of that individual because we understand there’s moving parts. So we’re communicating with the Caddo Parish District Attorney’s Office to determine if any charges should be upgraded, and what they should be. And it’s really just an unfortunate situation.”
So far, Shreveport, Louisiana, police have not announced if they will give Moses additional charges, but the case has now been upgraded to a homicide investigation.
“We really want to speak to our community to ensure that people make good decisions, and don’t put themselves in situations that ultimately end in some kind of tragedy like this,” Bordelon concluded.
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