An incarcerated man at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola died on Tuesday after a physical struggle with correctional officers inside a dormitory, according to people inside the prison. Witnesses said the man had been acting erratically before staff moved in and that he was later carried out on a stretcher, in restraints and not moving. An autopsy has been ordered, and detectives with the West Feliciana Parish Sheriff’s Office are investigating the incident.
What inmates described
As reported by The Lens, prisoners identified the man as Reginald Basile, known around Angola as "L.C." They told the outlet his behavior before officers intervened appeared erratic and possibly drug-related. According to The Lens, three female and two male correctional officers restrained him, and one guard was seen on camera kicking Basile. Inmates later circulated word that his neck appeared to be broken. The outlet noted that the official cause of death will be determined by autopsy.
State officials and the probe
The Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections identified the inmate as 46-year-old Reginald Basile and said his cause of death remains undetermined pending autopsy results, according to reporting by WAFB. West Feliciana Parish Sheriff Brian Spillman confirmed his office was called in to investigate what he described as an "unusual occurrence," but he declined to go into detail and deferred further comment to the state, the station reported. The department told reporters it had no additional comment while the case is under review.
Angola under renewed scrutiny
This latest death lands on a growing list of recent in-custody deaths at the sprawling prison complex. Earlier this year, a January clash with guards prompted a sheriff's use-of-force investigation. Other local reporting has cataloged additional recent deaths at Angola, and WBRZ said investigators in this case will review surveillance footage and interview witnesses as part of their inquiry.
What happens next
According to local coverage, investigators are expected to pull video from inside the dorm and take statements from people who saw the encounter, while the state medical examiner performs the autopsy. The Department of Public Safety and Corrections has declined to release further details while the investigation is ongoing, and no family members or attorneys for Basile were identified in initial reporting by KALB.
