Fighting For Job

Attorneys for former interim police chief Reggie Brown continue to press their case for reinstatement when they recently appeared before the Monroe Fire and Police Civil Service Board, July 27, 2021. Brown's attorneys asked board members to allow what they said was evidence and witnesses who could support their assertions that Brown was unjustly fired by new Monroe mayor, Friday Ellis. Brown was fired by Ellis following a complaint filed by local resident Timothy Williams over alleged police brutality that occurred during Brown's time as interim police chief. Brown was terminated because he was said not to have sent in reports to the Louisiana State Police agency for the agency to continue the investigation. Brown and another Monroe police officer, Sgt. Chuck Brown were both alleged to have been part of a coverup of the Williams' complaint in an effort to keep him as police chief right in the middle of the mayoral election where it was widely believed that had former mayor Jamie Mayo won, Brown would have become permanent chief. Mayor Ellis would go on to hire Victor "Vic" Zordan as the new police chief after he was able to persuade the board to repost the police exam, even though Zordan didn't apply when the notice of the exam was made public the first time. Brown's attorneys also want results of a polygraph performed on Brown thrown out, stating that the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled the tests to be unreliable. The board passed a request to have witnesses testify on Brown's behalf, which could be as many as forty individuals, to which attorneys for the city were firmly opposed. Brown's attorneys said that the witnesses would bring forth testimony to show how Brown was treated unjustly by the new administration. Brown's attorneys also identified that there is a double standard going on. They gave the controversial case of David Harris, who died while in police custody. They claim that Chief Zordan was not held in the same manner of promptly turning Harris's case over to LSP, as Brown is accused of not doing. It is alleged that both did the same thing concerning an investigation, but one of them gets to keep his job. A hearing is scheduled for August 18, and that hearing will determine if Brown will get his job back. If all witnesses appear, the hearing is expected to be lengthy, starting at 4:00 PM.