August 11, 2026
APR•St Tammany is clarifying information circulating regarding a 59 second video clip connected to the reported arrest of former Pearl River Police Department officer Mike Alquist.
APR did not receive the video from Mike Alquist.
APR received a 59-second cellphone recording from a third party. The cellphone video showed body-camera footage being played on a screen. APR never possessed the original body-camera file or the complete body-camera recording.
Alquist did not know APR possessed the clip until after APR had already received it. Communications retained by APR show Alquist responding, “What video” and “how did you get that?” when APR later contacted him about the footage.
At the time APR received the cellphone video, APR had no knowledge or reason to believe it had been obtained unlawfully.
APR did edit the cellphone video for publication, including adding a bit of opinion & context for viewers. APR did not access, edit, alter, delete, damage or injure any original Pearl River Police Department body-camera file or other department record. APR never possessed those original files.
APR is providing this clarification because information regarding Alquist, the video and his reported arrest has begun circulating publicly. We believe it is important that APR’s actual involvement be accurately represented.
APR will not identify the third party who provided the 59 second recording.
Finally, APR wants to make something clear on a personal level. Our experience with Mike Alquist has been that he is a good person and a great police officer. We believe he deserves the same presumption of innocence afforded to anyone accused of a crime. An arrest is an allegation, not a conviction.
APR will continue following this case and seeking documentation concerning the circumstances surrounding the investigation and arrest.