LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) — A Lafayette police officer, Bart Allen Ryder, was arrested last month in Texas for assault causing bodily injury to a family member, raising concerns about his continued employment with the Lafayette Police Department.

A spokesperson with the police department confirmed that Ryder remains on duty with the department despite the arrest, which has prompted an internal affairs investigation. The incident has sparked community concern about the standards to which police officers are held, especially in cases involving domestic violence.

“I think people who commit domestic violence against a female, a male, whatever, they’re cowards. They don’t belong protecting our citizens. They are the ones who are supposed to be the standard above,” said Marja Broussard, NAACP Louisiana District Vice President for region 4 of Louisiana. “What’s most concerning to me and everyone who is contacting me about it is how can he protect us when you can’t protect someone he loves? We’re strangers to him.” 

According to the records coordinator with the Grapevine Police Department in Texas, Ryder was arrested on July 11. The charge is classified as a Class A misdemeanor.

A former Lafayette police officer who worked with the force from 1993-2016 before retiring stated that being arrested for domestic abuse was traditionally grounds for immediate termination. Others included fighting with a fellow employee, OWI and failing a drug test. 

“It was standard protocol for officers under investigation for even minor infractions to be immediately placed on leave,” he said. “During this time, all equipment, including their firearm, badge, and patrol car, would be confiscated. They were also prohibited from working off-duty security or participating in any training, including in-service and SWAT.” 

He adds, “While officers expressed concerns about the lack of discipline rendered, they remained silent due to a fear of retaliation, a fear stemming from previous incidents at this department. Discipline at the department should not be based on the Good Old Boy system. In order for a police department to be fair and impartial on the streets they patrol they must be fair and impartial within their own hallways first.” 

Broussard questioned how Ryder could effectively handle domestic violence calls given his own arrest. 

“How can he judge that situation fairly when he’s a perpetrator?” she asked. “It’s just no benefit to the police department. It’s no integrity. How can he be effective in that situation?”

The situation has led to calls for accountability and higher standards within the police department, as the community awaits the outcome of the internal investigation. Concerns about trust and integrity within the force remain at the forefront of the discussion.

News 10 reached out to the Fire and Police Civil Service Board, but they didn’t want to comment. News 10 submitted a public record request and awaits details to bring updates. 

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KLFY. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KLFY staff before being published.

Latest news