“I unequivocally say that one of my best hires was Chief Murphy Paul.” ~Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome
BATON ROUGE — Several community leaders gathered to support Baton Rouge Police Chief Murphy Paul Monday morning including EBR Mayor-President Sharon Broome, who said Chief Paul was one of the best hires she made.
A “Stand with Chief Murphy Paul Rally” took place at the Baton Rouge Police Department Headquarters.
State Representative Vanessa Caston LaFleur, Reverend S.C. Dixon, and Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome were some of the leaders who spoke in support of Paul.
Dixon, with Greater Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church, said what happened at the Metro Council meeting on Sept. 27 was Paul opening a can of truth.
“Anybody who knows our chief of police knows that he’s a confident, caring, and calm man of faith,” Dixon said. “What many witnessed in the East Baton Rouge City-Parish Council Meeting was a chief who had been pushed, pinched, and poked, and he opened up a can of truth that some thought would never be revealed, and they were publicly exposed.”
At that meeting, council members asked Paul to step back from his role a month before his retirement amid an FBI investigation.
The meeting was about the “brave cave,” with council members requesting Paul to come to the podium to answer questions.
Paul called out a couple of council members during his response.
The chief said Monday he wished he could’ve communicated differently.
“Y’all don’t know how I beat myself up for losing my cool and I wish I could have just said it differently,” he said. “When I began to see the love, the support, and the prayers, it made me realize with all of the progress we’ve made, how much more work we have to do.
“No matter what I said, everything I said was facts,” he added. “There’s still some who only see an angry black man. I don’t apologize for my passion.”
Broome spoke in support of Paul.
“I want to thank all of the clergy members and community leaders who have come out in support of one of the best chiefs in the United States of America,” she said. Mayor Broome added, “I unequivocally say that one of my best hires was Chief Murphy Paul.”
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