City to end 'saggy pants' law that mostly affects black men

SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) - The city of Shreveport, Louisiana, has moved to abolish a 2007 ordinance banning people from wearing pants below their waistline.



The Shreveport Times reports the City Council voted 6-1 Tuesday to abolish the law. Police data show it resulted in the arrests of a total of 699 black men and 12 white men.



The law has been questioned since 31-year-old Anthony Childs died in February after an officer tried to stop him for sagging pants. Police say Officer Traveion Brooks chased and shot Childs three times. A coroner's report says Childs was ultimately killed by a self-inflicted gunshot wound.



The ordinance said arrests and searches couldn't solely be based on violating the ordinance. Police Chief Ben Raymond says it's unclear if anybody was arrested for the violation alone.

