Just two weeks ago, the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury voted 10-4 to keep the South’s Defenders Monument in place in front of the Calcasieu Parish Courthouse.
Bryan Beam is a parish administrator for the Police Jury. He slept through Laura’s eyewall Wednesday evening in his office.
When Beam stepped outside his building Thursday morning, he was greeted by the toppled South’s Defenders Monument, his son, Andrew, told CNN.
“It’s gotten a lot of controversy lately because the Police Jury here voted not to remove it for historical reasons,” Andrew said.
In June, Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter expressed his thoughts about the statue’s future.
“The statue should not be destroyed or erased,” he said. “It should be relocated with thoughtfulness and modern context, and while I do not have the answer for where it should be relocated to, I am willing to be a part of a constructive conversation about this and how to move forward together.”