Joe Sneve

jsneve@argusleader.com

The Sioux Falls Police Department says one of its officers acted unprofessionally last month after arresting a transgender woman on a shoplifting charge.

Sierra Broussard was arrested Aug. 29 at Walmart on Louise Ave. after she and a friend were accused of stealing clothing, makeup and a purse worth about $60.

As she was booked at the county jail, the officer who arrested her called her a "he-she" and made a gagging gesture, Broussard said.

“He said ‘Sierra is a he-she,’ and he put his finger in his mouth like he was going to throw up,” Broussard said.

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The police department's professional standards unit investigated a complaint by Broussard and in a Sept. 14 letter confirmed the officer's actions were improper.

“It has been determined that your complaint was valid and the manner in which the officer spoke to you was not professional,” Captain Terry Mixell wrote. "We thank you for taking the time to bring this matter to our attention, so we may correct this behavior and ensure our mission of providing excellent service to our community continues."

Mixell said Tuesday he could not confirm specifics about the officer's behavior, but he said the officer, who is not named in the letter, will be disciplined.

The department plans to send representatives to Pierre in December for a three-day training workshop that will include sessions on interacting with transgender people. Attendees will share their training with the rest of the department upon their return.

Mixell said the training was already planned before Broussard's complaint and that the timing is coincidental.

The U.S. Justice Department released a training video last month aimed at promoting "respectful, professional" interactions with the transgender community.

“Transgender Americans, like all Americans, deserve to be treated with courtesy and respect by law enforcement officers,” Paul Monteiro, acting director of the Department's community relations service, said in a statement.

Libby Skarin, policy director for ACLU South Dakota, said it's disappointing to hear about the officer's behavior, and that more outreach to diverse sections of the community is needed.

"The reports of this kind of behavior by police officers is very disturbing. It's simply unacceptable," she said. "With regard to the sensitivity training, it’s a good first step, but it certainly shouldn’t be the last. To serve the community they really need to meet the community and understand its needs."