Former Lt. Col. Jay Oliphant, whom newly-installed LSP Colonel Lamar Davis demoted to Major effective Monday, January 4, 2021.
Sound Off Louisiana subscribers may recall that, near the end of the video associated with our feature entailing the resignation of alleged domestic abuser Michael Lynn Satcher II, we stated that we saw “encouraging early sings” from newly-installed LSP Col. Lamar Davis. We also indicated that our LSP sources indicated that a realignment of LSP upper brass was imminent, but we indicated that it would be inappropriate for us to comment on the prospective moves prior to Col. Davis making the moves official.
On Monday, January 4, 2021, Col. Davis made the alignment official. Let us first provide the folk involved in the realignment, after which Sound Off Louisiana founder Robert Burns will, via video, provide his rationale for why he deems these moves encouraging, especially the demotion of former Lt. Col. Jay Oliphant back to Major.
Captain Chavez Cammon transferred and promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, Deputy Superintendent/Patrol.
Captain Kenneth VanBuren transferred and promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, Deputy Superintendent/Investigations.
LTC Jay D. Oliphant transferred and reassigned as Major, Command Inspector, Executive Officer
Now, for the video discussion of the above:
Sound Off Louisiana founder Robert Burns provides his take on the two promotions and one demotion announced by Louisiana State Police Col. Lamar Davis effective Monday, January 4, 2021. [Note: Burns inadvertently stated that Cammon’s promotion was to be over “parole.” He is actually be over “patrol.” Also, on one segment of the video, Burns stated that VanBuren now occupies the position previously held by Robert Brown. That isn’t correct as it is Doug Cain who now holds the position previously occupied by Robert Brown. We regret those minor errors.]
Links for episodes referenced by Burns for areas overseen by former Lieutenant Colonel Jay Oliphant follow:
1. Kasha Domingue.
2. Jacob Brown.
3. Ronald Greene
4. August McKay (A) and August McKay (B)
5. Kaleb Reeves (Note: CLICK HERE for documentation on all of Kaleb Reeves’ fleet accidents during his LSP career).
6. Michael Lynn Satcher, II.
The full January 9, 2019 feature for Oliphant’s key role in the transfer of former Col. Reeves’ son, Kaleb, to a detective position is here. Relevant segments pertaining to Oliphant from that feature are replicated below:
Level 3 Approval: Jay Oliphant, whom Reeves promoted to Region 3 Major on June 27, 2017. Incredibly, and from what we are told by our LSP sources, Oliphant THEN RECEIVED A SECOND PROMOTION (to a highly-prestigious position of Lieutenant Colonel) as Deputy Superintendent of Patrol (the position now occupied by Cammon) sometime after June 27, 2017.
Lieutenant Colonel Oliphant is perhaps the most intriguing player in the mix. As long-time Sound Off Louisiana subscribers are aware, it is Oliphant who is the central focus of former Louisiana State Police Commission (LSPC) member Calvin Braxton’s defamation lawsuit against the Louisiana State Trooper’s Association (LSTA). In essence, Braxton alleges that the material contained in a report authored by Oliphant, which can be viewed beginning on page three (3) at this link, constituted an orchestrated attempt by the LSTA to have him removed from the LSPC by having Oliphant produce a “fake” incident report which Braxton claims is completely false. He also asserts in the lawsuit that the content of that incident report has defamed his character.
Experts with whom we’ve spoken with ties to LSP have told us that the incident report, which is dated June 2, 2016, is highly suspicious as to its credibility because the actual incident transpired on December 5, 2015. These experts have informed us that it’s unheard of for an LSP Trooper to draft an incident report some 180 days after the incident, and they’ve told us that the norm is for such a report to be prepared within 24 hours of the incident or 48 hours at the latest.
The timing of Oliphant’s report is also suspicious in that Braxton was known to be working with former LSPC Executive Director Cathy Derbonne regarding irregularities at the LSPC. Most noteworthy among those irregularities were illegal campaign contributions into Gov. Edwards’ (and others) campaigns in 2015 by the LSTA. A consent agreement was reached with the State Board of Ethics entailing those illegal campaign contributions which called for a $5,000 fine to the LSTA.
Another interesting aspect of Lt. Colonel Oliphant is a Facebook post he made in early 2017 which follows:
Because LSP is itself law enforcement, Oliphant’s social media post seems particularly inappropriate and may have warranted disciplinary action because of the horrendously bad message that it sends to the public. Specifically, it sends the message that someone citizens have entrusted to be brave when being called upon to help them resolve their insecurities or fears actually openly admits in a wide-open, available-to-the-world Facebook post that he struggles to manage his own insecurities and fears. His reference to doing “whatever is necessary to protect those who are near and dear to me; including myself” could very easily be interpreted as an LSP Trooper willing to take the law and legal process into his own hands, which is something any LSP Trooper would warn any citizen against doing.
Braxton has denied any such focus on Oliphant. Also, his attorney, Jill Craft, who also represents Derbonne in her LSPC litigation, states in the following interview with WWL in New Orleans, how Oliphant should have handled any such concerns on his part (for which we wholeheartedly agree with Craft’s statements in that regard):
Craft comments on Oliphant’s alleged fears of Braxton and Braxton’s contention that he was the victim of a smear campaign orchestrated by the LSTA designed to have him removed from the LSPC.
Stay tuned, folks! We’re about to embark on a multi-part series entailing the depositions recently filed into the court record entailing Calvin Braxton’s ongoing civil litigation against Oliphant, Louisiana State Police ( added after the original lawsuit), and the Louisiana State Trooper’s Association (LSTA). We think you’ll find many of the quotes from those depositions to be quite intriguing!
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