Louisiana Officer Arrested on Drug Charges



ASSOCIATED PRESS



LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) -- A Lafayette police officer was arrested Tuesday on drug charges that stemmed from an internal affairs investigation involving three other officers.

Cpl. John Keith Richard was booked into the Lafayette Parish Correction Center on a charge of possession of Lortab, a prescription painkiller, said Louisiana State Police spokesman Trooper Willie Williams.

Richard's roommate, Jessie Walton, also was arrested for possession of steroids.

Richard has been on paid administrative leave since June 16. Three other officers _ Cpl. Trampus Gaspard, Jason Galatas and Jason Herpin _ were also placed on leave at that time. Herpin has since returned to work in the patrol division.

The investigation began after a complaint involving a downtown nightclub, said Cpl. Mark Francis, Lafayette police spokesman. Francis would not say how the club was connected to the investigation. All officers have been banned from doing off-duty security duty at the club until the investigation is complete.

In a press conference this afternoon, Williams and Francis both emphasized that the investigation is ongoing. Richard may face additional charges, and more arrests are likely.

''The arrest is just one part of this investigation,'' Francis said. ''If we have to come to you with news we're not happy with, we'll have to step forward and talk about that.''

Personally i think he should be fired.  But its a big double standard to say he should be fired if we are not going to also fire every pizza delivery guy that gets a ticket for pot, or every truck driver who gets pinched for meth too.

If an LEO is caught trafficing in RX drugs, yes.

If he has a back ache and takes one of his wifes RX drugs, no.

ETA: There's a big difference between getting an LEO job and the others you mentioned.

Steroids are illegal?

CW

Quoted: Steroids are illegal?

Only if you dont have the proper prescription.  Same for most Narcotic Anagesics, Benzodiazepiens, and amphetamines.

Quoted: If an LEO is caught trafficing in RX drugs, yes. If he has a back ache and takes one of his wifes RX drugs, no. ETA: There's a big difference between getting an LEO job and the others you mentioned.

+10000

An arrest should not be grounds for being fired.



A conviction:  yes.

Quoted: An arrest should not be grounds for being fired. A conviction:  yes.

Regaurdless of occupation?  Just for public service jobs?  Would you include professionals like Doctors and Lawyers too?

Where do you draw they line for off duty conduct being grounds for termination from your job?

Quoted: Quoted: An arrest should not be grounds for being fired. A conviction:  yes. Regaurdless of occupation?  Just for public service jobs?  Would you include professionals like Doctors and Lawyers too? Where do you draw they line for off duty conduct being grounds for termination from your job?

It all depends on conditions set by the employer.
 
I would assume most police departments would require an officer to not violate drug laws as a condition of employment. At the same time, I would say the pizza shop could care less.

It doesn't require the same level of integrity to deliver pizzas as it does to be a police officer.

Now if the pizza shop owner was requiring employees to remain drug free as a condition of employment, then sure fire the pizza guy. But, for low paying jobs you can't be that picky.

Hell, many fire departmenst are requiring firefighters not to smoke, and some are prohibiting them from being volunteer firefighters in the community they live in.

Of course, the same could be said of LE and the crappy pay there to. Due to that, you get two types in departments with crappy pay.

The first type is there because they want to be a cop, and it is not about the money, they love the job. These kinds of employees are great because they value thier job and want to do right.

The other type is there because there are very few other jobs where you can go in with no real world experience and have your employer pay you while you train to become qualified to do the job, and pay for your education. These guys are hit and miss.

Some of the best cops I ever knew, or know now, are guys who have masters degrees, are skilled tradesmen, or are otherwise marketable outside LE but do the job because they love it.

Some of the worst, on OTOH, are ones who are burnt out but stuck in the job because outside of LE they have absolutley no marketable skills, and don't bother going to school to learn any.

Not a hard and fast rule, of course, but just what I have observed.

we place a lot of trust in police officers and other professionals, and they have to abide by a higher standard then the average joe citizen, not to mention that their judgement in critical situations could be affected........ so yes if they conclude the officers did in fact take a presciption drug without a valid prescription, their ass should not only be fired, but charges should be brought up on them, and  I don't care if they took a few pills from the wife, for a bad back........you think for one second that if a police officer pulls you over and you have Rx drugs on you that are not yours, that you will be set free?