New Orleans, LA – On Sunday evening, January 11, members of the New Orleans Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression held a demonstration in front of the Saint Louis Cathedral in the French Quarter to demand justice for Jace Lee Scott who was murdered by the son of NOPD officer Victor Gant in 2019.
The protest targeted the inauguration of New Orleans Mayor-elect Helena Moreno. The event was well secured with barriers. Victor Gant now serves on the mayor’s security team, even though he aided in his son Andrew Gant’s murder case.
Phone records show that after Andrew Gant murdered Jace Scott, he called his father for help. Victor Gant drove to his son instead of calling 911, and was present during his son’s interrogation – a clear conflict of interest. Andrew Gant got off on a negligent homicide charge and never saw a day in jail. The judge overseeing his case, Judge Nandi Campbell, also allowed him to be late on his restitution 14 times and never put him in jail.
“Helena Moreno, do what’s right! Stand with the families, help us fight!” chanted the crowd. In front of numerous NOPD officers and heavily armed National Guard, they chanted “Victor Gant is a crooked cop, we want justice, lock him up!” Some of the officers laughed and bobbed along with the rhythm of the chant.
“All of you officers who are laughing, I want you to think about what it would be like if your family, if your son or your daughter was shot in cold blood and their killer got to walk the streets not seeing a single day in jail,” said Toni Mar, directly confronting NOPD officers over the loudspeaker. “I bet you wouldn’t have a fucking smirk on your face like you do right now!”
People on the street walking by stopped to listen to Sister Shanta Scott, the mother of Jace and founder of the Jace Lee Scott Foundation. “When cops lie, they steal. And when they steal, they murder,” she said. “My son was stolen from me. Murdered in cold blood. And the police covered it up.”
Sister Shanta Scott made her demands known. Addressing Mayor Moreno, she called for the immediate firing of all police officers involved in the cover-up of her case, federal charges against Victor Gant and his son Andrew Gant, a civil lawsuit against the city of New Orleans for protecting the officers involved, and community control of the police.
“No one should have to go through what I have to seek justice for their child,” Shanta Scott said. “This is not just about my son. This is about accountability, transparency and ensuring that no one is above the law. Families deserve truth, and justice must be applied equally.”
As the inauguration crowd exited the ceremony in their Sunday best, they had to walk in front of the protest demanding “Justice for Jace!”
#NewOrleansLA #LA #InJusticeSystem #KillerCops #PoliceCrimes #NAARPR #NOAARPR
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