Protest of Capt. Higgins held in front of Vermilion Parish Courthouse

Corretta Williams was one of a dozen family and friends of alleged gang members who was on the steps of the Vermilion Parish Courthouse in protest of a video made by the former St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s officer Clay Higgins.
Coretta’s son, Gene Williams III, remains in jail on a $1 million bond. She remembers the first time she saw the video of Higgins speaking about the “Gremlin Gang.” She became upset because she knew he was talking about young men like her son.
“It was a disgrace for someone to act so unprofessional,” said Coretta. “We are not against any law enforcement doing their job, but at the same time, do not violate our rights while you do your job. A lot of our rights have been violated.”
In the video, Higgins, referred to the suspects as “animals,” “thugs” and “heathens,” words that have sparked a heated debate.
“You will be hunted. You will be trapped. And if you raise your weapon to a man like me, we’ll return fire with superior fire,” Higgins said.
Coretta first saw the video while at her house. “I could not believe what I was watching,” said Coretta.
Higgins quit the St. Landry Sheriff’s Office Monday afternoon.
Other family and friends of the alleged Gremlin Gang attended the rally at the courthouse. They held up signs explaining that Gremlins is a rap group and a gang in Abbeville. Another bright yellow poster was asking for justice for the 17 being accused of allegedly being in the Gremlin gang.
Brother John Barnett, a civil rights activist from South Carolina, and Rev. Raymond Brown, another civil rights activist, spoke outside of the courthouse about Higgins and the alleged Gremlin gang.
Barnett said he supported Higgins resigning because of his “harsh” words used in the video.
Rev. Brown said the video put a negative light on the ones who were already arrested for allegedly being a member of the Gremlin Gang.
“It is pretrial negative publicity,” said Rev. Brown. “When you go before the people and you character assassinate someone before they have their day in court, you preset the minds of the jury. There is no fair trial. He (Higgins) hurt them by saying, ‘We will hunt them down like animals.”
Barnett and Rev. Brown expect a couple more of the alleged members of the Gremlin gang to turn themselves within the next week or two.
Barnett went on record as saying that there is no such thing as the Gremlin Gang. He said it is an old rap group. Barnett said law enforcement made up the name to help get federal funding to help battle gang activity.
“Today, there is no gang,” said Barnett.