Sonita Capers, the mother of two daughters killed by Louisiana State Police (LSP) Trooper Kaleb Reeves, son of former LSP Col. Kevin Reeves, voices her frustration at LSP’s planned transfer of Reeves to a lucrative and cushy position in LSP’s Intelligence Unit. Capers voiced that frustration to WBRZ (Channel 2 in Baton Rouge)’s investigative reporter, Chris Nakamoto (and the screen shot is courtesy of WBRZ).
What a difference a week makes, huh?
It was only a week ago tonight that we published this feature entailing LSP planning a transfer of Kaleb Reeves, son of former LSP Col. Kevin Reeves, to a lucrative position in the Intelligence Unit of LSP. The position was described to us as, “the ultimate cushy job.”
As we indicated in the above-linked feature, we turned the matter over to WBRZ (Channel 2 in Baton Rouge)’s investigative reporter, Chris Nakamoto, because we knew he could give it the widespread and in-depth coverage the slick maneuver by LSP’s upper brass deserved, and he came through with flying colors (as he always does)!
Hours after we disseminated our feature above, we received a phone call in which Sound Off Louisiana founder Robert Burns was conferenced in with the mother of two daughters Kaleb Reeves killed in October of 2020, Sonita Capers.
Needless to say, she was very unhappy with the development at LSP. She asked us about her doing a Sound Off Louisiana feature, and we told her that we were deeply flattered. We let her know, however, that we felt certain Nakamoto would be more than willing to conduct a follow-up to his above-linked feature. We asked if it was all right for us to provide him with her contact information, and she indicated that it was.
Nakamoto called Burns to express his appreciation and informed him that the interview had been set up for the next day at noon. Let’s now take a look at that stellar Nakamoto feature, which aired later that very evening (March 15, 2023):
We fielded numerous calls, emails, and texts pertaining to the features, and let’s just say they weren’t pretty. We received calls from troopers who recently quit in utter frustration at other instances similar to the Reeves one above, with some even telling us that they are ashamed of LSP and didn’t want people even knowing that they ever even wore an LSP uniform because of the manner in which the entire agency has been, “totally and completely disgraced” by these type actions by LSP’s upper brass (and ultimately Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards).
Apparently, the outrage simply became more than LSP could bear. We knew something was up last week when, on Wednesday, March 15, 2023, we made a public records request for all of the documents applicable for the transfer. We made the requests both of LSP and the Louisiana State Police Commission (LSPC). LSPC immediately informed us that it had no records of the transfer. Meanwhile, here’s the response we received from LSP. From that response:
From: LOUISIANADPS Support <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, March 17, 2023 5:03 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [Records Center] Public Records Request :: R000186-031523The Louisiana Department of Public Safety, Public Safety Services has reviewed its files and has determined there are no responsive record(s) to your request as the transfer of Trooper Reeves has not been finalized at this time.
That would sure be a clue that something just may be up, no? Well, turns out there was, and that leads us to a third feature by Nakamoto which aired tonight (Monday, March 20, 2023):
We can only surmise that, as one highly-intelligent individual told us, “either Lamar Davis is the dumbest person on the planet or else (Kevin) Reeves has something on John Bel Edwards.” In the end, perhaps the pressure Edwards felt simply became too much to bear, and he instructed Davis to renege on the planned transfer.
This entire maneuver by LSP was described to us as extraordinarily rare, and we were provided with other details which we’re choosing not to make public at this time.
Nevertheless, we intend to continue our pursuit of the public records from LSP entailing this planned transfer because, from our stand point, just because it didn’t materialize, doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be a paper trail documenting how all of this came about. After all, the paper trail from 4 1/2 years ago entailing a similar transfer of Reeves (to a prized Detective position) certainly proved VERY, VERY interesting!
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Anyone surprised by this clown show? Davis and Chavez cut from the same cloth as reeves and edmonson. They all came up the same way, promoted way beyond their ability but because they were buddies or had dirt on each other, they were given promotions.
As you have shown previously, this regime has made many questionable transfers and promotions of many unqualified individuals over more qualified and morally sound individuals. This one or almost one, was of no surprise to many. Davis needs to go as he has shown himself to be the puppet he his. His number two guy Chavez, got caught red handed as chief of IA covering up the Ronald Greene death as well as the cadet cheating scandal. What did Davis do? Promote him.
The LSPC has the authority to investigate but they are too busy enforcing Davis’s retaliatory investigations on dissenting troopers. The commission is backed up for months but continues to turn a blind eye. They are all bought and paid for including the trooper position on the commission who continues to vote with the rest of the members no matter the issue. I’ve never seen a group of people more than the LSPC enjoy sharing a brain.
The good and honest officers need our prayers. Keep up the good work exposing this criminal organization.
I am flattered, but I use my full name when I make comments, give interviews, or testify to legislative committees.
Sorry to disappoint you but you are not the only person whose first name starts with a M with the last name Richards. My first name is Michael. Pompous much? I now know who you are since it’s easy to find your greatest hits on the legislative hearings. Too little too late from what I hear. You had no problem looking the other way during the cheating scandal nor when it was brought to your attention about Ronald Greene. Hoping they would have made you a Major you sold out with the rest. Sit down and go back to enjoying your retirement.
What I believe is that we need every day people policing the police (sitting on these committees)!
And if we did, I doubt seriously the last meeting would’ve been about pay raises.
In the private sector, you produce quality before you get paid the big bucks!
I met some very educated great guys working for state police, but the problem is they spend more time serving and protecting their brothers than they do the constituents.
However, we have to continue to pray for them.
The question is: Are they listening to GOD’S voice!!
Unfortunately, this colonel is pushing out the good ones. Maybe the colonel is purposely sabotaging the department.
Master Troopers never promoted are retiring with 94,000 pensions and health insurance coverage premiums being covered up to 75%. From 2015 to now, there have been stories of rampant payroll fraud, captains of IA sleeping with cadets, colonels stealing from the cafeteria, troopers making more than the Vice President of the United States, State police Commanders kidnapping attorney’s, state police Lts. Driving drunk and getting teased, St. police Lts getting caught with sneaking underage woman onto gaming floors in MS., state police Lts, smoking weed with hookers in the swamp, Vegas trips, troop commanders facilitating cheating of cadets for years, covering up murders, covering up doctor shopping , hiring and promoting felons, giving privileges to troopers who kill two in innocent children, Trooper calling other troopers the N word, trooper molesting his daughters friends, supervisors selling cocaine he was supposed to destroy, state police colonel driving drunk and getting pulled over, trooper shooting people in the back and department covering it up u til surveillance video shows up, deleting phone data, ect. Ect. Ect.
The majority of the above examples were subsequently, promoted to upper supervisory positions or coveted positions. The good guys you speak off are no more relevant than the Dodo bird or a tyrannosaurs Rex. They have been hunted by these administrations to near extinction.
The ones left know to keep their mouths shut unless they want to end up like cavalier, Paxton, Brown or Graham. The Bowman group is a sham and the DOJ is being hoodwinked.
J. Cannon is absolutely correct. I’m one of those good ones that was denied promotion to LT over 30 times in order for them to promote their unqualified friends or their friends’ relatives and expected people like me to run the section or shift for them because they couldn’t investigate themselves out of a wet paper bag. Most of them can’t make a decision, or if they do, it’s a messed up one. They don’t know Policy & Procedure and most of all, they don’t even know what the Code of Criminal Procedure.
There has been 2 Lieutenants promoted over me that were arrested or fired and 1 is being investigated for an EEO complaint. The EEO complaint is being swept under the rug and he was transferred to Troop B and is the Executive Officer.
I can tell you that they tried to move Trooper Reeves to that position to hide him because all of his cases were getting dismissed due to his improprieties. It’s a position that not require him to perform any actual police work.
I could go on and on about this and the last administration which are the two worst I’ve seen in my years of LSP. And the next Colonel won’t be any better if it’s one of the names being mentioned.
Why the special treatment? A similar incident happened in Addis and yall wanted the mans head on a platter. I only see one difference here, unfortunately it’s the color of the victims skin..
Jane, it’s not because of the color of his skin. It’s because his dad, ex-Colonel, has dirt on Gov. Edwards and others.
If you want to talk about persons kept on the job because of the color of their skin, look at Shawn Boyd, who is black and now a Sergeant. He was fired twice for payroll fraud (LACE gate) and has a lengthy Internal Affairs folder for violations, but since he escorts the University of Southern’s football team around the country and has friends in the Black Caucaus of the State Legislature, he was given his job back twice and then promoted.
Retired, you need to fact check before you post information like this. One Shawn Boyd was NEVER fired once more less twice! To my knowledge he has no friends in the Black Caucus and escorting Southern University had to do with nothing! Everyone knew he should have been promoted even be you were promoted. Ppl in LSP knew he was set up to keep from being promoted. If he was so bad of a person, would he still be the first face that the new Cadets see when they join? You need to fact check and stop throwing rocks and hiding your hand. Say who you are!
He was suspended for the first time for pay roll fraud because he was claiming time as a duty officer when he wasn’t even at the academy. He then once again committed payroll fraud claiming he was working LACE hours when he wasn’t. He was fired but southern university made a bunch of calls to the caucus and they made some calls. His termination paperwork was shredded by the great Mrs. Morrison and Girod. You say he was set up???? He was setting up his new TV and tricks he was buying with all the money he was stealing from tax payers. If he was setup, he surely didn’t go fight the accusations at the commission or get the suspensions overturned. He is as much a criminal as all of the other troopers, white, black, purple or green. Reeves wasn’t charged because he is white and the colonels son. Face it, that’s the truth. Boyd got special treatment because the caucus intervened. He got special treatment. It happens all the time. The thing they share in common is they are both criminals.