“This is just the start of the cookie crumbling. Many investigations are going to be launched internally, some that are bullshit while others are legit. The truth is, the people at the top are trying to protect themselves and they will throw anyone under the bus as long as they’re safe.”
BATON ROUGE — Baton Rouge Police Department’s Deputy Chief Troy Lawrence Sr. was placed on administrative leave Wednesday morning while an internal affairs investigation is underway.
Sources confirm to Unfiltered with Kiran that Deputy Chief Troy Lawrence Sr. was notified Wednesday morning of the investigation.
In this specific case, it is unclear why Deputy Chief Troy Lawrence Sr. has been placed on leave, but it is very rare for a top administration personnel to be under investigation by its own department.
It comes after his son Troy Lawrence Jr. resigned in lieu of termination just a few weeks ago after allegations came forward that he took arrestees to a “torture warehouse.” Since then, three federal lawsuits have been filed against the Baton Rouge Police Dept. and the FBI has launched an investigation into BRPD and its officers. Amid the investigation, numerous sources have said several officers are under the microscope for what they may have turned a blind eye to in years past. One person named in a lawsuit is Deputy Chief Myron Daniels for allegedly shutting down investigations into what’s now being called the “Brave Cave.”
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Troy Lawrence Sr. is a 25-yr veteran of the Baton Rouge Police Dept. Prior to becoming one of four deputy chiefs at BRPD, he was over the street crimes division.
“The internal affairs investigation comes at a time when everything that everyone has done and is doing is under scrutiny,” said a former BRPD officer. “This is just the start of the cookie crumbling. Many investigations are going to be launched internally, some that are bullshit while others are legit. The truth is, the people at the top are trying to protect themselves and they will throw anyone under the bus as long as they’re safe. So don’t start judging people just yet because they’re under investigation. Some of these so called investigations are to get the heat off the top brass.”
Procedurally, when any officer is placed on administrative leave, they are notified by someone within the internal affairs division. The notification will usually advise the officer that their working hours are from 8am-4pm Monday through Friday and that they are to remain at their home during those hours while the investigation is underway. Also, the officer must relinquish any departmental property including their police car, badge, gun, commission card, etc…
Baton Rouge Police Union’s response to deputy chief’s admin leave
The recent action taken against Deputy Chief Troy Lawrence placing him on administrative leave has the membership of the Baton Rouge Union Of Police both disheartened and dismayed. Why, when faced with current allegations about the so-called “Brave Cave” and the Street Crimes Unit, has the administration chosen to take action on an allegation that is more than 3 years old? An allegation where evidence and witnesses may be hard to come by due to the time that has passed since this incident is alleged to have occurred… An allegation, that by it’s very nature, damages the reputation of an officer with more than 20 years of dedicated and meritorious service to BRPD and the citizens of Baton Rouge… And why are the details behind the charges so hard to come by?
This administration likes to use the term “transparency” as a touchstone for the way they choose to conduct themselves; if there were actual transparency, in this case, the charges would be made public, as would the evidence and those bringing it. And, there would be an explanation as to why this allegation took more than 3 years to come to light if the administration felt there was an actionable offense.
The Baton Rouge Union Of Police has always stood for a full and fair accounting of any incidents or allegations made against our fellow officers; we have also always called for a fair and complete investigation, where warranted, under the full light of day.
At this juncture, we can only see nebulous accusations that will only serve to damage the individual officer, and the reputation of the office that he held prior to being placed on administrative leave.
~BRPD Union Spokesperson Bill Profita
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