It was Memorial Day weekend in Baton Rouge last year, the weekend of the BAYOU COUNTRY SUPERFEST that had country music fans flocking to LSU’s Tiger Stadium. LSU subsequently cancelled its contract with promoters and this year’s event will take place in the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans.
But this story isn’t about Bayou Country Superfest.
It was several hours after the final performance of one night of the three-day event, around 3 a.m., in fact, that a black SUV was pulled over by a Baton Rouge police officer at the corner of Perkins and Acadian, only a few blocks south of I-10.
The officer, a member of the city’s DWI Strike Force, suspected the driver of driving while impaired, perhaps even intoxicated. In the SUV was a woman, a blonde. She was not the driver’s wife; she’s a brunette.
The driver, violating all protocol, exited his SUV and started toward the officer who, alarmed, is said to have pulled his weapon just before recognizing the driver as a high-ranking member of the governor’s administration.
Instead of escalating, as the situation could easily have done, the driver was inexplicably allowed to proceed on to his destination, driving that black SUV. He was not arrested, issued a citation or even asked to submit to a field sobriety test and the matter was quickly hushed up. Even the city officer, when asked about the incident, denied it ever happened. But later, when asked about the incident by a fellow officer, rather than deny it occurred, said instead, “I can’t talk about that.”
Yet the stories continue to persist nearly nine full months after the stop that the officer denies ever took place. LouisianaVoice was even given the officer’s name by no fewer than eight different, independent sources. At least when Bobby Jindal’s Commissioner of Administration Paul Rainwater was pulled over for DWI, there was no attempt to keep the arrest quiet and he paid his fines and court costs for the offense. The only thing that raised eyebrows was when State Police Superintendent Mike Edmonson showed up and gave him a ride home—a courtesy no ordinary citizen sans political connections would likely be accorded.
Who made the decision to allow the driver to go on his way? It’s unlikely the officer would have assumed the responsibility for such a decision fraught with all kinds of downsides on his own. That would mean there had to be an order from up the chain of command within the Baton Rouge Police Department. The question then, is at what level of the command was the decision made, mid-level or from the very top?
Baton Rouge Police Chief Carl Dabadie is probably on his way out. At least that’s the indication given by former State Sen. Sharon Weston Broome who was recently elect Baton Rouge’s new Mayor-President and inaugurated on Jan. 2, though Dabadie appears to be fighting to keep his job.
This is not to say Dabadie was ever even aware of the stop but if (and of course, at this stage, that’s a very speculative if)…if he is the one who put the kibosh on the stop and potential arrest of the state official, both men need to go. Immediately.
If he had any records of the pullover expunged from the police log, he could be found guilty of injuring public records under Louisiana R.S. 14:132 and he conceivably could face imprisonment. At any rate, if any records of the stop were destroyed on his watch, he must be held accountable for destruction of public records.
If records were never tampered with, then somewhere there is a paper trail that still exists, perhaps by now buried somewhere in the bowels of the BRPD.
LouisianaVoice is continuing to investigate the matter. We’ll let you know if anything develops. If not, the story probably will evaporate as did the ghost stop of a black SUV at 3 a.m. during the 2016 Bayou Superfest.
Louisiana Voice 
Governor Honor Code steps in it again.
Could it be possible, maybe even probable, that the State Official driver holds, and on the night in question used, the title of Colonel?
It is interesting to see the related articles at the bottom for damn sure!!
Now that would be interesting.
Let it go. No proof of any crime just a suspicion of impaired driving. Even if it was a fact there is no difference between a cop letting any other citizen just go on. Unless every move people make is going to be on one giant “big brother” video film, it is impossible to police everything. This isn’t that important, really. Certain people in certain positions are allowed great benefits simply because of who they are. Plain and simple that is the way life works.
Any “cop” who just lets a drunk driver “go on to his destination” is a dirty “cop” who should be fired and prosecuted!
So, when it’s your son or daughter whose corpse stares at you from the coffin before it’s sealed and he or she is lowered six feet, do you still have that same attitude?
The FBI has agents who can specialize at extracting the truth out of what happened here. The DWI may be a ghost, but the BRCP Officer is not! Bring him in, administer a polygraph, bring the “high ranking official in” and administer a polygraph. Perhaps the DWI can’t be proven in court, but any “high ranking official” exerting u due influence over the job security of one of lower stature constitutes a crime. The FBI can (and should) delve into the circumstances under which a “high ranking official in the Edwards administration” was permitted to “just proceed on to your destination” and, in the process, endanger the very lives the “cop” is sworn to protect!
I would respectively submit that it’s just that sort of “that’s the way life is” approach that has this state and, in fact this country, to a point that nobody trusts the political “establishment,” thus making the election of folks like Clay Higgins possible (for which I was thrilled).
Do you have the guts to show up at a MADD Victim Impact Panel and read to them the statement you’ve written above? For your convenience, here are addresses at which you may do so: http://www.madd.org/local-offices/la/victim-impact-panels/?referrer=https://www.google.com/.
If you opt to do so, please report to us all what your experience was like!!
Lady Justice’s blindfold must have always been sheer and has now slipped down to her neck. In addition, we must never forget rank has its privileges in all cases, one way or another. In the Rainwater case, the officer must not have recognized him until it was too late.
That reminds me of how in the wake of Rainwater being caught DWI, all state employees had to start doing a safe driving course every few years. On top of that, at LSU and I’m guessing elsewhere across state government, we have to do annual training in many other areas. Each course was implemented following bad behavior in its respective area by a high ranking person at LSU or in state government. The head of the LSU Foundation gets caught in bed with a dean’s wife, and we have to start taking sexual harassment training. Another is caught forging time sheets, and we have to start taking ethics training. Each time one of these cretins gets caught doing something wrong, the rest of us have to pay the price by being forced to take more inane annual course. The courses are so bad that it’s obviously CYA risk management on LSU’s part rather than a serious attempt to educate employees in these unquestionably important areas. No one who is going to commit adultery or steal or DWI is going to not do so because of taking one of these courses. Meanwhile, those who really need anti-corruption training figure out how to get a pass on taking the courses. Just like other criminals well get guns no matter the strictness of gun control laws. Do you really think the top people at LSU and in state government take the half dozen HR courses the rest of us are forced to take because of the bad behavior of their buddies? Or just maybe they have one of their minions take the course for them because they know it’s just CYA nonsense. Thank you Paul Rainwater! Your immature behavior has a large legacy — namely wasting the time of thousands of state employees taking a course on defensive driving that is so ineffectual that it probably drives people to drink.
Case in point, the mystery man driving the black SUV with a mystery blond woman (not his wife?), is obviously a big shot in state government. He did not take the defensive driving course or any of the others we all are required to take. Or he did take the courses and they are ineffectual at stopping this sort of alleged behavior (the alleged / implied / suspected DWI, adultery, and corruption of a police officer).
Any way you analyze it, this is a black eye for the BRPD! It’s most unfortunate to be revealed soon before the city is likely to see unrest from the Alton Sterling announcement.
For those who may question, “How could undue influence be exerted and carried out against someone not affiliated with State government but instead a local municipality (with supposed “union and ‘civil service’ protection,” I would refer folk back to Thursday’s Derbonne debacle.
Lost in the shuffle of that embarrassing episode was a settlement against a Sheriff’s Deputy about an alleged hit and run. Mr. Falcon, the Deputy’s defense attorney, said, “Half the Sheriffs Dupities believed the Deputy (who vehemently denied the charge) and half did not.” Sure sounds like the potential exists for this to have been a case of fabricated charges to “teach the ‘ole boy a lesson and adjust his attitude a little.” Remember, it is State Police which investigates alleged wrongdoing of other law enforcement agencies of this state, and from what I’ve seen, I now view that as a VERY, VERY freightening framework. Here’s the link for the Sheriff Deputy’s video of the settlement just referenced:
Replaying the video, Falcon actually said that there were “two factions” in the Sheriff’s Department. It may not have been half and half.
[…] Hence, it’s not referenced in the first video above. Nevertheless, CLICK HERE for that article entailing yet more alleged corruption within the Edwards […]
Tom, from liability and exposure standpoints, this “phantom” incident is quite troubling for many reasons. Bear with me as we go through just a few of them, but know that for the sake of the dignity of the Colonel’s relationship with his brunette wife, I’m going to make the assumption that she was aware that her husband was escorting a blonde female passenger In the wee hours of the morning after the Bayou Country Superfest. Perhaps it was the blonde that a fellow trooper spotted him with in the pool in the Training Academy. But, let’s set that aside and allow me get to through a few of the very basic liabilities.
1. This has the potential to jeopardize the credibility, integrity and character of Governor Edwards (e.g. Edmonson’s appointment and continued support). For a candidate who ran under banner of the West Point Honor Code, it is baffling how he can continue to support such dangerous, irresponsible and potentially costly behavior. Is JBE willing to let Edmonson and Secretary LeBlanc cost him a second term? It seems so. And, to add to this point, his former colleague and current friend, Mr. Townsend, must have obviously apprised him of the situation as any of us in the room during the last LSPC meeting and able to observe Mr. Townsend’s behavior could surmise that the notion of attorney client privilege is not one that this particular attorney seems to uphold. Mr. Townsend’s actions clearly indicated that while he may have been hired by Ms. Derbonne, his allegiance was to the LSPC (e.g. Colonel/Governor). Was he conflicted or just earning his keep in a sleazy lawyerly manner.
2. The potential for an impaired driver to endanger others on the roads. Isn’t it ironic that Edmonson and Troy Hebert had a long-running PSA warning against the perils of driving under the influence? (Let’s not forget that you’ve previously mentioned that Edmonson’s already crashed a patrol car while intoxicated in his early career.) Had he, his passenger or others been injured during this “phantom incident” the taxpayers would be footing the bill since LA is self-insured unlike private sector companies that are usually covered by worker’s compensation insurance. Of course, the attorney fees, for which the taxpayers would have paid from our ever- shrinking budget, would have been staggering just over the argument of whether it was “work-related” despite the fact that he was driving a work vehicle. Which agency would have taken the hit for that expense? Higher Ed? DHH? Or, maybe the question should be, should the state start setting aside a special fund for “Edmonson’s Ill-Advised Behavior?” In summary, JBE seems unconcerned with the exposure to the lives of the citizens, driving and pedestrian population, and potential negative impacts on the budget.
3 The potential for injury to the BRPD officer because the Colonel failed to comply with customary police commands during a traffic stop: “Remain in your vehicle.” The general public is not allowed to exit their vehicles until directed by the officer. In the midst of national social unrest and local racial tension, and just 2 months before 3 BR officers were killed, the Colonel steps out of his vehicle (excuse me – his loaner ATC vehicle) and “STARTED TOWARD THE OFFICER, WHO, ALARMED IS SAID TO HAVE PULLED HIS WEAPON JUST BEFORE RECOGNIZING THE DRIVER.” Read that sentence again and get a mental picture of that scene. Now, place yourself in the driver’s position and imagine what would have happened if you had exited your vehicle and “started toward the officer.” If you happen to be African-American, I hope you’d still be here to read this comment. I’ll let you consider the potential scenarios that could have played out because of a high ranking law enforcement officer can’t or refused to follow policy, protocol, the law or exercise common sense. Regardless of the scenario you imagine, it leaves the state, the Governor, LSP, and any others totally exposed.
4. Carl Dabadie’s position as Baton Rouge Chief of Police is now in even greater jeopardy. Because the Colonel has undoubtedly cashed in on one of his many chips and pressured the BRPD to keep this May 29th incident quiet, Chief Dabadie is now exposed to an investigation now that Mayor Broome has publicly announced her desire for a replacement. An investigation of this “phantom” incident would certain expose the name of the BRPD officer involved as his name has been bantered about throughout the law enforcement community, most know that the Colonel was driving a loaner ATC vehicle, the date and time of the incident, and that someone higher in the officer’s chain of command has undoubtedly issued the directive to destroy the records. Who will buckle under a polygraph? Just how strong is this alliance between the LSP and the Sheriff’s Association and the LSP and the Chief’s of Police? Is any one of them actually willing to sacrifice his job for the Colonel’s bad behavior?
In summary, we’re all exposed to some degree, but who has the most to lose? Time will tell. From this perspective, it looks as if the entire state has been losing for too long.
There’s no possible way it could be summed up any better than this!!
O. K.
Date: 5/29/16 (per above)
Appx. Time: 3 a.m. (per original post)
Location: Corner of Perkins and Acadian (per original post).
Vehicle Registration: ATC (per post above).
Driver: Apparently LSP Col. Mike Edmonson (per above post).
Multiple Offense: Yes, per above post and as substantiated by this document: http://www.lspripoff.com/Ed1994.pdf).
Officer weapon pulled: YES.
Officer: Unknown to public but apparently common knowledge within many other law-enforcement circles.
Looks like plenty sufficient specificity for an investigation to me!!
Who’s to say that JBE was/is aware of what happened? But, IF he is, he should remove that official.