MINDEN, La. - Tension in the ranks of the Minden Police Department -- where two veteran police officers are now on administrative leave - has led to questions about leadership, allegations of corruption and criticism about reasons for arrest and prosecution.
The controversy has been stirring since last month when the first officer, Lt. Chris Hammontree, a 16-year veteran, was placed on administrative leave then arrested. It's continued through recent weeks when another officer, Lt. Jason Smith, also was placed on paid administrative leave shortly after posting an audio recording on YouTube where he confronts Police Chief Jared McIver about Hammontree's arrest - and other police department issues.
Now, information has surfaced where Mayor Nick Cox is questioning McIver's handling of Hammontree's arrest, saying in a memo he felt the situation should have been handled through a disciplinary hearing and not an arrest.
Also thrown into the mix is McIver seemingly placing responsibility for Hammontree's arrest squarely on the Bossier Parish District Attorney Schuyler Marvin. McIver told KTBS Marvin is the one who made the determination Hammontree should be arrested.
Marvin doesn't deny that; however, says he agreed to prosecute based on facts given to him by the police chief and an officer who conducted an internal affairs investigation.
But those facts are now in question by attorney Pam Breedlove, who is representing Hammontree with his pending hearing before the Minden Municipal Fire and Police Civil Board. She is not representing Hammontree with his criminal prosecution but is aware of information connected to the arrest that she believes is all intertwined.
"It's unfair and there's a lot of other stuff going on," Breedlove said of Hammontree's status.
HAMMONTREE'S ARREST
Breedlove describes Hammontree as a "straight-laced officer, not warm and fuzzy" who "tells it like it is." He had no prior disciplinary record with the department.
He was placed on leave on May 28. McIver would not disclose the reason.
Breedlove said it stems from a crash Hammontree worked and questions about why he took the teenage driver's license after refusal to sign it and how the tow truck request was handled. Hammontree followed the law and a memo on file from the previous police chief's administration, Breedlove said.
Breedlove is confident the facts and law back up Hammontree’s actions and he will be reinstated.
McIver recommended Hammontree’s termination following a pre-disciplinary hearing. The final decision, though, is up to the City Council. Per Minden’s city charter, the City Council has the final vote. A hearing date has not been set.
But as Hammontree waited - he was arrested. Or more precisely, issued a summons on June 18 to appear in court on a misdemeanor charge of simple criminal property damage.
McIver would not provide information about what led up the criminal charge - something that is typically provided to the media when other suspects are arrested by Minden police.
Instead, McIver has told KTBS and the Webster Parish Journal the decision was based on a review by the district attorney, telling the WPJ "The determination on the charge filed came directly from the D.A. himself."
Marvin told KTBS he was presented with information about Hammontree's alleged actions during a traffic stop on Interstate 20 in February. Based on what he was told, Marvin approved the charge.
"They asked if I'd accept the charge, and I said yes," Marvin said. "The decision to prosecute was made by me. I said under those facts, if that's what the facts are, if that's what the evidence shows, I'll take the case."
THE TRAFFIC STOP
Hammontree was called to the traffic stop since he is a K-9 handler. He was asked to check out a vehicle for possible drugs.
During a check, Hammontree found a stuffed animal in the back seat and felt something inside. He reportedly cut it open with a knife and exposed a container with an unknown material inside.
He opened the container, but the dog did not alert. The stuffed animal was put placed in a cardboard box already in the back seat. Hammontree reportedly did not ask the car's occupants - a man and woman standing at the front of the car with other officers -- what was in the container, according to information obtained by KTBS.
Only later, after a complaint was filed with the Minden Police Department, was it learned the container held the cremated remains of the woman's child.
Marvin said the criminal charge is related to damage to the woman's property. He noted through the years he's made other officers pay for any damage they caused.
"Right is right and wrong is wrong. I said I'd take the case and make him pay the lady," Marvins said.
KTBS is told a payment has been made by the city. There's also a reference to it in an audio recording.
Neither the city nor McIver has responded to a public records request submitted late Thursday for that and other information. Marvin also was unaware if a payment has been made.
JASON SMITH AND RECORDING
Smith had his own questions about Hammontree’s arrest and posed those to McIver last month in a meeting the police chief held in his office with Smith and two other officers.
“Why did you put on Facebook and tell the media that he was arrested?” asked Smith.
McIver said it all went through the district attorney’s office. Smith responded that “everybody knows” Marvin is “corrupt.”
He went on to say Hammontree was “drug through the mud,” prompting McIver to ask if he should have shown favoritism to Hammontree.
“I think you should have said what he got arrested for like we do everybody else,” Smith said.
McIver said it wasn’t the media’s business since the investigation was ongoing. He accused Smith of basing his happiness on Hammontree and what he’s heard about his arrest. He also told Smith he could not sit on the civil service board to hear Hammontree’s appeal because he should not have been discussing the case.
At one point, the discussion between the two grew heated - so much so the other officers in the room got involved to settle everyone down.
If he broke policies and procedures that he was not supposed to break. If he did something illegally he wasn't supposed to do, that's on him, Jason Smith, not on you," McIver said. "And for you to come in here, I told you I could tell you were mad right, right off the bat. Soon as I saw you in the hallway, 'I'm not having a good day.' Let's talk about how bad it was last week. How bad was that on you?"
Responded Smith: "It was pretty bad because a lot of the police department felt like they could be arrested if the chief don't like them."
The conversation then turns to other topics such as the reputation of the department, training, other criminal cases, technology involving iPhones and other department equipment needs before going back to Hammontree and questions about McIver’s leadership.
The hour and a half long meeting appeared to end amicably.
But on July 8, Smith posted on Facebook he finally received evidence the police chief “had against me.” He included a link to a recording of the meeting, saying it was recorded by McIver and was used to “terminate me.”
He accused the two other officers who were in the meeting of perjuring themselves in statements about the conversation. And he expressed doubt his Internal Affairs complaint would be investigated since the two officers are the department’s IA.
KTBS asked McIver in a separate interview two days later about the recording and how Smith obtained a copy of it. McIver said he recorded it for the department, “not the entire world.”
But under civil service law, officers placed on leave - such as Smith - are entitled to all material related to their disciplinary action, and as such the audio was given to Smith.
“It shouldn’t have been up there,” McIver said of the posted audio. “That’s a no, no. That’s on him. ... This is ethics and law enforcement 101 that you don’t post something like that with sensitive material being placed out there for the public. Mr. Smith did that on his own without anyone’s permission.”
The recording was up for less than 24 hours before being removed.
ARREST STIRS CONTROVERSY
The Webster Parish Journal reported Wednesday that Hammontree’s arrest has ignited controversy within city leadership and drawn strong criticism from the statewide law enforcement union, as Mayor Nick Cox and the Louisiana Law Enforcement Association question McIver’s judgment and leadership.
In response to the arrest, Cox issued a "respectfully" worded memo to McIver on June 20, questioning the chief’s handling of the situation.
"After reading media reports of the arrest of Officer Hammontree, I want to respectfully express that I disagree with the decision to arrest him," the mayor wrote. "I feel the situation could have been more appropriately addressed through a disciplinary hearing rather than an arrest."
Cox warned that such actions could damage morale within the department and undermine McIver’s leadership. “This approach may create unnecessary tension, affect morale within the department, and potentially impact your overall leadership,” Cox wrote.
The controversy deepened today when the LLEA released a public statement condemning the arrest and labeling McIver’s actions as “concerning, unfair, and simply unprofessional.”
The union also alleges Smith, who serves as president of local police union, was targeted too because of his leadership role within union.
"The Chief's behavior is so egregious that the Mayor, Nicholas Cox, has questioned his leadership ability in an official memo," wrote Chris Stewart, LLEA executive director. "We stand united behind President Smith, the union board, and all employees that are under McIver's inept leadership."
The LLEA also signaled support from International Union of Police Associations, which is monitoring situation for potential violations of labor protections.
"We applaud Mayor Cox and any other officials in their action to attempt to put a stop to this unfortunate situation," Stewart added."These actions decay morale and promote a very unstable environment."
McIver, who is currently in Baton Rouge at a state police chief conference, said he wondered why the executive director of LLEA didn't reach out to him prior to sending the news release.
"I'm a little surprised Mr.Stewart would take the word of a single individual in something as important as this without trying to get allthe information,"McIver said."I would have talked with him without reservation."
McIver also said he had discussedthe memo withCox ,explainingwho ultimatelymade decisionto filecriminal chargeagainstHammontree .