Reid Copeland, 30, went before a Livingston Parish judge on Monday, Jan. 30th where he pleaded guilty to two charges, carnal knowledge of a juvenile and malfeasance in office. He was also sentenced the same day and will not have to serve any time behind bars.
Copeland, who was recognized as officer of the year in 2022, was arrested in Texas in Aug. 2022 after accusations of having had sex with a minor. Even if the minor consenting, she is still a minor and it’s considered against the law. When the Denham Springs Police Dept. launched an internal affairs investigation into the allegations, Copeland resigned.
The Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office was requested to take over the investigation since it involved one of Denham’s own officers. LPSO arrested Copeland in TX and charged him with carnal knowledge of a juvenile and malfeasance in office.
On the carnal knowledge of a juvenile charge, he was sentenced to 10 years of hard labor and to run concurrently for the malfeasance in office in charge, he was sentenced to five years of hard labor. However, all the hard labor years were suspended and he has three years of supervised probation along with paying all his fines.
Copeland was recognized with several awards & honors when he was employed with the Denham Springs Police Dept., including the “Peace Officer of the Year for Distinguished Service.”
In Dec. 2021, Attorney General Jeff Landry recognizing Copeland for his actions of going above and beyond the call of duty in assisting a small child in need of care.
“Upon finding in a ditch a 3-year old with no shirt, no shoes, wet pants, and a soiled diaper – Officer Copeland gave the child items from his own home: fresh clothes, clean diapers, a car seat, and snacks. He changed the child’s dirty diaper, clothed him, and made him comfortable without blinking an eye or being asked to do so,” said AG Landry.
Copeland started with DSPD in June 2019.
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