BATON ROUGE - A federal judge has ordered that the Baton Rouge Police Department leave its infamous interrogation site known as the Brave Cave untouched while the department faces a civil lawsuit and several of its officers face criminal charges. 

The order from federal Judge Scott Johnson calls for the now-shuttered facility, referred to in litigation as a "BRPD torture warehouse," to remain undisturbed until Jeremy Lee — who alleges his rights were violated there — and his attorneys can inspect it. It also mandates that the department and its officers preserve texts, videos and any other electronic data relevant to the case.

The order stems from an ongoing civil lawsuit alleging Lee was taken to the facility for questioning and roughed up while officers' body cameras were off. Lee was reportedly beaten so badly that the East Baton Rouge jail turned him away when officers tried to book him, with jail staff saying that he needed medical attention. 

The Brave Cave, which was used heavily by BRPD's disbanded Street Crimes unit, was shut down in late August after the lawsuit surfaced. Several officers linked to the Street Crimes unit are now facing criminal charges over allegations that they tried to cover up misconduct.