Monroe Dispatch - No Struggle, No Progress

Reggie Brown has been axed from the Monroe Police Department (MPD). Again. It has been about two years since Oliver "Friday" Ellis became Monroe's newest mayor, but there has been what some may call a "stain" on his record as mayor that has to do with how he and his administration have treated former Monroe police chief, Reggie Brown. Brown was the interim leader of MPD when Ellis took office. Brown became embroiled in a controversy over his alleged handling of a police brutality complaint on his watch that local resident Timothy Williams filed. When Ellis fired Brown, he was replaced by current police chief, Victor Zordan, who got his position after Ellis petitioned the Civil Service Board to reopen the police chief's exam after he became mayor. Zordan became a candidate when the exam was reopened, though he did not submit his name the previous time as Brown had done. When the police brutality incident became public, Brown and other officers became a part of an alleged coverup in an effort to suppress the complaint, allegedly until after the mayoral election, where Mayo was anticipated to win. Mayo lost, and Brown's fate, many believed, was sealed. The alleged brutality coverup was attributed to Brown as chief, as he was terminated by Zordan because he was alleged to not have forwarded the excessive force case to Louisiana State Police "in a timely manner". This information has since been debunked during several service boarding hearings, as Brown's legal team has proven his innocence. Brown would get his job back after appealing to the Monroe Fire and Police Civil Service Board, saying that "punishment did not fit the crime" and ordered that Brown be reinstated. The Ellis administration was not pleased with the decision and filed an appeal in Fourth Judicial Court challenging the board's decision. Many believed that the issue had been resolved as Brown settled into his new duties as a member of the MPD once again, but on December 5, 2022, Judge Daniel Ellender of the 4th judicial court ruled in favor of the city of Monroe's appeal upholding that the city was no longer required to keep him on the police force and he was terminated from his job. As of press time, there have been no comments from Mayor Ellis or Chief Zordan. The Monroe Dispatch will bring forth any additional details as they become available.