TGMC security chief cleared of wrongdoing

Terrebonne General Medical Center’s security chief was cleared of any wrongdoing in an incident involving an arrest at the hospital last month.

Questions surrounded whether Percy Mosely, TGMC director of security, tried to interfere in the Jan. 18 arrest of Jerri Smitko, the hospital board’s former chairwoman, by Houma Police Department officers.

TGMC, Houma Police and the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office resolved that Mosely acted “appropriately,” according to a joint statement issued last week.

“He didn’t do anything wrong,” said Sheriff Vernon Bourgeois. “There were some assumptions that certain things happened. It was just a misunderstanding. That’s all that was.”

The hospital security chief position is a commissioned officer of the sheriff’s office with the power to arrest and carry a weapon. Mosely has been a commissioned officer at least 10 years, Bourgeois said.

Smitko was arrested for allegedly threatening a nursing assistant who would not let her in the hospital’s main entrance after hours. Mosely was accused of trying to get the assistant to drop the charges and of freeing a handcuffed Smitko from a Houma Police cruiser.

The hospital hired the New Orleans-based law group, The Kullman Firm, to do an independent investigation of Mosely’s actions.

The two-week investigation concluded that Mosely did not attempt to get the charges against Smitko dropped or remove her handcuffs.

“He tried to calm her down, and they (officers at the scene) assumed he was going to talk her through the window, and he opened the car door to talk to her,” Bourgeois said. “That’s the only difference. That’s no big deal.”

Smitko was issued a summons, and Houma Police officers uncuffed her.

Smitko resigned from the hospital board of directors on Feb. 2, just before a special board meeting to discuss the incident. Mike Voisin was elected the new board president at that meeting.

“TGMC, along with Houma Police and the sheriff’s office agree that this entire incident was highly unfortunate and we all regret the concern that it has created in the community,” said Phyllis Peoples, TGMC president and CEO, in the joint statement.