Categories: Louisiana News

Louisiana Supreme Court rules former Monroe interim police chief should have been suspended, not terminated

MONROE, La. (KTVE/KARD) — On September 3, 2025, the Supreme Court of Louisiana ruled that Reginald Brown, former interim police chief of the Monroe Police Department, should not have been terminated from his position.

Reginald Brown was fired by the Monroe Police Department in November 2020, and the dismissal reportedly involved the investigation of a complaint of excessive force by officers of the department, which Brown allegedly learned a few months after he was appointed interim Police Chief by then Monroe Mayor James Mayo. According to court documents, Brown’s conduct during and after the investigation of the incident led to his termination.

Brown went on to appeal the dismissal, and a civil service board reduced the punishment to a 90-day suspension without pay. A district court reinstated the termination; however, a court of appeals later reduced the punishment once again to a 90-day suspension without pay.

On July 6, 2020, Timothy Williams filed a complaint, alleging that the Monroe Police Department used excessive force during his arrest. After Williams’s complaint, officers in the department reportedly informed Brown that some of the incident was recorded by an officer’s body camera, which showed Officer Jared Desadier kicking Williams in the head while Williams was lying face-down on the street with his hands behind his back.

Once Brown learned about the incident, he called the Monroe city attorney to discuss the situation. During the call, Brown confirmed that Officer Desadier and another officer would be placed on leave pending investigations into the matter.

On September 4, 2020, Brown was informed that his “possible misconduct” in the incident was under investigation, leading to his firing by Chief Vic Zordan on November 23, 2020. According to court documents, Brown’s termination was due to the following:

  • Failing a properly administered polygraph examination.
  • Testifying untruthfully during interrogations on October 8, 2020, and November 5, 2020.
  • Delaying sending the Timothy Williams criminal investigation to the Louisiana State Police.

Following the Supreme Court of Louisiana’s ruling, Councilman Verbon Muhammad, Sr. released the following letter to Mayor Friday Ellis:

Sponsored

Dear Mr. Ellis:
In light of the recent Louisiana Supreme Court case decision rendered on yesterday
September 3, 2025 in the above matter, please accept this correspondence to not proceed
with any further litigation in this matter. This case has cost the taxpayers numerous dollars,
and we feel that any future continuance to proceed in litigation is futile. Our obligation now
is to abide by the Court’s ruling to reinstate Mr. Brown to his position and pay all backpay
with legal interest and other benefits he is entitled to by law.

Councilman Verbon Muhammad, Sr., City of Monroe

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