There is a back and forth between lawyers for a man who died in Monroe Police Custody and Monroe Police Chief Zordan, while each side is accusing the other, no one is addressing the 800-pound Gorilla in the room.
There is a concern in the African-American community about the decision of several Sheriffs in Northeast Louisiana to form their own investigative unit whenever officer-involved abuse of force issues come to light.
The decision was made after an African-American was appointed by the governor as the leader of Louisiana State Police to crack down on abuse of force claims, most of which were in Troop F which covers North Louisiana.
When David Harris died on April 3rd in the custody of Monroe Police a series of events took place that ultimately resulted in the Monroe Police Department opting to bypass the Louisiana State Police to investigate the death.
The back and forth involves a press release Chief Zordan gave the Free Press on the night of death in which he said he “Immediately” turned the case over to the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s office. The next day, Sheriff Jay Russell denied being contacted by Zordan and said the Sheriff’s office was only investigating the actions of its deputies at the site of the death inside the OCC, not all of the incidents leading up to the death.
Two days later on April 5, 2021, Zordan was supposedly contacted by OPSO Chief Deputy Mark Mashaw and asked if the city wanted the Northeast Louisiana Sherriff’s Investigative Unit to investigate the entire case. Zordan said he thought he had already asked for an NLSIU investigation when he contacted OPSO on April 3.
Zordan says he learned that he had to specifically request the NLSIU to get involved to trigger their involvement. So, Zordan formally asked Mashaw on the phone to investigate the death.
To African-Americans, that’s the 800-pound Gorilla in the room.
Why would the City of Monroe Police Department want to switch investigation units? For as long as anyone can remember the Louisiana State Police has always investigated officer-involved shootings or abuse of force issues.
The State Police are perceived by the public as being extremely professional and without bias. They make no determinations of guilt or innocence, they simply gather all of the facts and give them to the local District Attorney for review.
Our suspicion is that the sheriffs didn’t plan to stop using the LSP for investigations until a Black man was named to head the LSP and began cracking down on abuses within the State Police itself with a promise of going after police bad apples in other departments.
The Ellis Administration has been quiet on the issue. Neither the chief of Police or the mayor is explaining to the public, especially the African-American public, why it felt the need to abandoned a procedure that enjoys public confidence where the outcome is questionable.
The NLSIU has never investigated any case and has no track record. The organization does not have a leader, so none of the Sheriffs involve will take the blame if it makes a mistake.
Without a leader, it looks like the NLSIU will give the results of its report to the MPD.
That’s a glorified definition of the foxes investigating each other for stealing chickens from the hen house.
In the interest of public trust and transparency, the city should stop the NLSIU investigation, and call in the State Police.
They are not perfect, but they have the public trust, the NLSIU does not.
