FORDOCHE — A local police chief accused of botching a rape investigation earlier this year is at the center of another investigation.
Fordoche Police Chief Jaroed “Tait” Slocum is accused of forcibly relocating a mentally ill man, who was hallucinating about snakes biting him, from Fordoche to remote area in Lottie, which is outside of Slocum’s jurisdiction. An incident report from the Pointe Coupee Parish Sheriff’s Office obtained by UWK alleges that Slocum failed to call for medical assistance, despite telling dispatchers that the man was “in mental crisis.”
The Fordoche Town Council voted Monday to send the report detailing Slocum’s alleged actions to District Attorney Tony Clayton’s office for further review and potential malfeasance charges.
‘He was hallucinating, claiming snakes were biting him’
According to the Pointe Coupee Sheriff’s report, on September 25, just before noon, Slocum responded to a disturbance in Fordoche involving a mentally ill man experiencing hallucinations about snakes. Slocum reassured the man that no snakes were present, and the man then left on a bicycle, heading for Krotz Springs.
An hour later, Slocum was called to another Fordoche residence after a woman saw someone attempting to break into her home through a live camera on the property. The suspect was the same man from the earlier call, the report said. Slocum then allegedly transported the man, along with his bicycle, to the corner of LA-81 and U.S. 190 in Lottie.
Pointe Coupee Sheriff’s deputies later found the man, identified as Patrick Stelly, walking into traffic and attempting to stop vehicles. The deputies confirmed that this was the same man Slocum had dropped off.
PCSO Deputy Raymond Smith said in the report that he, “…spoke to Stelly multiple times. He was in fact hallucinating, claiming snakes were on him and biting him.” Stelly was then taken to Pointe Coupee General Hospital for a psychiatric evaluation.
“The situation could have been far worse”
The report goes on to say that Smith asked Slocum to return Stelly’s bicycle to his mother in Fordoche, but Slocum refused and appeared disgruntled. Deputies eventually retrieved and returned the bicycle to Stelly’s mother themselves.
Smith noted in the report that Slocum allegedly failed to provide dispatch with Stelly’s information on two occasions when he encountered him. Had he done so, Slocum would have been told about Stelly’s active fugitive warrant from St. Landry Parish. The report also criticizes Slocum for recognizing that Stelly was experiencing a mental health crisis but neglecting to request medical assistance.
The report also claims that Slocum observed and told dispatchers that Stelly was having a mental crisis due to mental illness but neglected to request medical personnel to evaluate Stelly to receive further medical treatment.
“Chief Slocum made multiple attempts to force Stelly to leave from within his jurisdiction, when that failed, he then transported him miles away on a major U.S. Highway. Chief Slocum knew that Stelly could not cross the 4-mile Spillway Bridge on a bicycle or walking,” the report states, before noting that had a PCSO deputy not been in the area after Stelly had been dropped off “the situation could have been far worse than what it was.”
“Aberration to the norms”
Following the submission of the report, the Fordoche Town Council voted unanimously Monday night to forward it to District Attorney Tony Clayton for further investigation.
“Something’s got to be done,” Clayton told UWK. “Dropping off a mental patient, coupled with arresting a deputy for rape charges, is an aberration to the norms. It goes against the norm. This isn’t how it’s supposed to work. This is becoming an issue of public safety to me.”
The council also voted to initiate the process for a special election that would allow the mayor and council to appoint future police chiefs. Currently, the town elects the police chief.
In a conversation with UWK, Fordoche Mayor Teddy Gros says that issues with Slocum’s professionalism and conduct have become increasingly problematic since his election in January 2023.
“(Stelly) needed some help,” Gros said. “(An ambulance) picked him up for a 72-hour hold. He was on something that messed with his mind. In our opinion, (what Slocum did) was definitely the wrong thing to do. This guy needed some help. He should have got that help the first time. We can’t allow this. He needs to answer for it.”
History of incidents
This controversy comes on the heels of accusations against Slocum for mishandling a rape and voyeurism investigation involving a deputy with the East Feliciana Sheriff’s Office in April. A grand jury ultimately dismissed the charges against the deputy, Mason Troth, stating that the evidence did not support charges of rape or video voyeurism.
Gros also told UWK of other ongoing issues with Slocum’s enforcement of traffic laws in the town. He claimed that Slocum issues far fewer traffic tickets than previous police chiefs, reducing the town’s revenue and increasing danger for motorists.
“Last week, a guy almost hit a school bus in a subdivision where the speed limit is 20 mph. He was going around 50 mph and had to slam on his brakes to avoid hitting the bus,” Gros said. He added that despite a witness reporting the incident and identifying the driver, Slocum allegedly took no action.
Gros says in his ten years as mayor of the small town, he’s never experienced as many issues with a police chief.
Slocum is the only full-time law enforcement official in the town of 1,060. According to the Louisiana Secretary of State elected officials database, Slocum’s term will end in January 2026.
UWK reached out to Slocum for comment. He said that he would be available Wednesday.
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