Civil Service Board Opens Investigation

The question about what happened to Monroe resident David Harris (similar questions about Ronald Greene) just won't go away. It has been almost two months since Harris died in the custody of the Monroe Police Department (MPD). Harris' family and the public still have no answers concerning Harris' death. The family has been asking questions as a follow-up to an initial investigation conducted by the Ouachita Parish Sheriff Office. At the Thursday, May 29, 2021 Monroe Police and Fire Civil Service Board meeting, board members voted 3-2 to bring in the Louisiana State Police(LSP) to look further into Harris' death. Given that LSP is also the subject of a nationally known case involving the death of Ronald Greene that has placed the agency under scrutiny, many would question their authority to handle this investigation honorably. The agency does not have to take the case. The OPSO would soon be replaced by another local law enforcement organization called the North Louisiana Sheriff's Investigative Unit (NLSIU), comprised of criminal investigators from area parishes who investigate cases of excessive force where a death or serious bodily harm occurs. It was revealed at the board meeting that there were those who didn't know of NLSIU. According to reports, both Harris family members and the Monroe Police and Fire Civil Service want to know more about NLSIU. They were told that NLSIU is a new agency, but it is unknown who they report to; city attorney Steven Oxenhandler reportedly said that he didn't know either. Their duties will include interviewing witnesses, gathering statements as regular police agencies do, and reviewing video footage. That has been the focus of Harris' family, as they want to see video footage of what happened to him while in police custody. During the meeting, it was also revealed that Monroe Police Chief Vic Zordan allegedly gave inaccurate information during an initial public statement, which may lead to further questions from investigative organizations. As things stand now, at least two organizations have looked into Harris' death. The OPSO and NLSIU have not made any public statements regarding the results of their investigations, nor has Mayor Friday Ellis or Chief Zordan. The decision by the board to request that LSP take a case that perhaps will seriously question the agency's credibility to seek the truth and be transparent with Harris' family and the public is suspect at most. Ultimately, the truth of what happened to David Harris is out there. The only way we will know the truth is when those who ask the public "to trust them" reveal the truth and hold those responsible for negligence accountable for their actions. Otherwise, many will say what the public sees in how law enforcement officers are held accountable as only a mockery of justice.