ACLU Blasts Video by Louisiana Officer Targeting Gang Members

A spirited video statement from the captain of a Louisiana sheriff's office targeting gang members has sparked backlash from the American Civil Liberties Union, NBC News reported.

Capt. Clay Higgins of the St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Office created the video with local TV station KATC, which broadcast it. In the video, Higgins and the dozens of officers standing behind him are holding large guns, as the captain issues a stern warning to fugitive members of the so-called Gremlins gang. KATC posted the video on their Facebook page on Wednesday, and it has since been viewed more than 15 million times.

In a statement sent to KATC and later shared with NBC News, the ACLU of Louisiana said "nothing that Mr. Higgins said will make his community safer, but there is much to suggest violations of fundamental rights of all."

The group had a particular problem with Higgins' use of the word "heathens."

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