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The president of Terrebonne Parish’s NAACP branch says the parish sheriff was justified in firing two of his deputies in connection with allegations of misconduct after the Saturday arrest of a white Dulac teen, and made a prediction about their post-Sheriff’s Office futures.
“Sheriff Jerry Larpenter did the right thing in terminating the officers that were involved in the incident,” said Jerome Boykin Sr. “It is all about public trust. Incidents like this make it bad for other law enforcement officers.”
The former deputies, Joey Cehan III and Charles Cook Jr., lost their badges Monday after an internal affairs investigation found them guilty of conduct unbecoming an officer. Larpenter, as is the policy, made his own decision after taking the internal affairs board’s recommendation under consideration.
A highly agitated Cehan was caught on video that went viral Saturday yanking a handcuffed Christopher Lee Verdin Jr. out of the back of his patrol car following an arrest on a weapons charge, then removing the handcuffs while urging the teen to strike him. Earlier Verdin had challenged the officer to do just that. Frankie Duplantis’ Facebook video hit 178,000 views Tuesday.
Verdin is still in the Terrebonne Parish jail in lieu of a $75,000 bond.
Cook was fired because he made no move to stop Cehan although he stood right next to him.
Neither officer was charged with a crime.
In a new twist Monday Verdin’s father, Christopher Verdin Sr., was arrested and charged with cyberstalking after making threats on Facebook against the officers involved.
Boykin said he believes the officers have future career options in law enforcement.
“Usually when officers are terminated from other departments they get hired by the Houma Police Department,” Boykin said.
In some instances deputies have resigned from TPSO – sometimes under pressure – and ended up in the HPD ranks.
“The Houma Police Department is an equal opportunity employer,” Chief Dana Coleman said, when asked for comment on Boykin’s statement. “We strive to hire the best candidates available. We stand by our mission of being “proactive but professional.”
Since the two deputies were fired, angry Facebook posts have defended their actions, in some cases suggesting that Verdin Jr. should have been subjected to violence.
