Former Louisiana State Police Trooper Carl Cavalier (photo courtesy of AP).
In yet another rough day for the public relations department of Louisiana State Police (LSP), former Trooper Carl Cavalier, on whom we reported as being notified of his termination on October 8, 2021, together with former Louisiana State Police Commission (LSPC) member Lloyd Grafton, really pinned their ears back and let loose in an Associated Press article published today (Tuesday, October 26, 2021) which includes a video interview featuring the two men. Let’s take a look at a few highlights from the just-linked feature:
“If you’re a part of the good ol’ boy system, there’s no wrong you can do,” said Carl Cavalier, a Black state trooper who was recently fired in part for criticizing the agency’s handling of brutality cases.
It’s an us-versus-them culture, they say, in which many troopers and higher-ups are more interested in covering for each other than living up to the agency’s image of honor, duty, courage and “doing the right thing.”
“There’s a corruption that allows the reprobates in state police to just sort of do as they damn well please,” said W. Lloyd Grafton, a use-of-force expert who is consulting on the Greene family’s civil case and served on the Louisiana State Police Commission. “Nobody holds them accountable.”
Now let’s take a look at the AP video itself:
AP video interview featuring former LSP Trooper Carl Cavalier and former LSPC Member Lloyd Grafton
There’s one sure-fire thing about Grafton! He stands by his words! It was Grafton, while serving in his last LSPC meeting, who uttered the words that “nobody holds them (Louisiana State Police) accountable,” on February 17, 2017. It was at that meeting where Grafton literally had it out with Gov. Edwards’ “$70 million man” on the LSPC, Jared Riecke.
Though many of our long-time subscribers have seen this video before, we think that, in light of today’s AP feature and particularly for the benefit of our newer subscribers, Grafton’s performance from 4 1/2 years ago is worth an encore repeat, so here it is:
Then LSPC Member Lloyd Grafton has it out with current LSPC Member Jared Riecke on February 17, 2017.
Grafton got so frustrated at Riecke’s dogged determination to get then-LSPC Executive Director Cathy Derbonne terminated (see above video), that he resigned moments after the above video. Here’s a repeat of his rationale for resigning from the LSPC:
Grafton provides his rationale for resigning at the 2/17/17 LSPC Meeting.
As Grafton makes clear, he believes the efforts to terminate former LSPC Executive Director Derbonne constituted “a lynching” of which he steadfastly refused to be a part.
Most long-term subscribers are aware that Derbonne sued the LSPC for wrongful termination, and she alleged in that lawsuit that Gov. Edwards’ office “had told her to shut the f— up!”
In our next feature, we’re going to update everyone on Derbonne’s lawsuit. Trust us, that’s a feature we believe you WILL NOT want to miss!
As for Cavalier, we gave everyone a heads up that the LSPC appeal of his termination would constitute the “Super Bowl” of all LSPC appeal hearings! Does anyone have any doubt that we did not overhype that appeal?
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