WBRZ - Baton Rouge

Baton Rouge police officers have been cleared by the Justice Department of any wrongdoing in the days after Hurricane Katrina.

State police officers from New Mexico and Michigan alleged some Baton Rouge officers harassed African-Americans and conducted illegal searches.

Tens of thousands of evacuees from the New Orleans area came to Baton Rouge to escape Katrina.

The out of state officers were assisting in patrols.

An internal investigation by the Baton Rouge Police Department found the claims unfounded.

Chris Stewart, president of the Baton Rouge Union of Police, confirmed for News 2 the Justice Department ruling,