Re-hired, disgraced BRPD officer terminated again following Kiran Chawla's investigation.

quote:

---

BATON ROUGE — A Baton Rouge Police Officer, who was re-hired 23 years after he was fired, has officially been terminated from the Baton Rouge Police Dept.

BRPD Officer Tremelle Neldare was placed on administrative leave Monday, June 12, following an Unfiltered with Kiran investigation. Less than 24 hours later, he was terminated from the department after starting at BRPD in late March 2023.

It comes after two investigations by Unfiltered with Kiran highlighted that Neldare was re-hired despite his termination 23 years ago from BRPD and three resignations from other area law enforcement agencies. He was brought on at a pay step 16, well over what starting officers begin their career with at BRPD. That means he started around $56,000 a year, compared to the usual nearly $40,000 for a starting officer.

UWK‘s reporting also put Neldare on District Attorney Hillar Moore’s Brady List.

Those UWK investigations triggered a private meeting with East Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome on June 9.

“We serve a God who is a God of order. Everything about the rehire of this officer Neldare was out of order,” said Brandon Butler’s mother.

Not being able to hold back tears, Angel Matthews added, “It’s like this thing has been pressing on me and it’s a release. It helps me keep the faith that no matter how broken the system is, but according to the God I serve, there’s always hope and there’s peace and right now, I have a feeling of peace. It’s not just for me, it’s for all those officers and for all of Baton Rouge. It gives Baton Rouge hope. It’s a mark of getting on the right track and maybe there’s hope for this city. It may be something small for some, but this is a big deal for me.”

UWK also called Neldare. No one answered the phone.

East Baton Rouge Councilwoman Laurie Adams confirmed she and a few other women had a meeting with East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome over Neldare’s rehiring.

“The meeting was Friday in the mayor’s office. There were women who were specifically concerned of incidents of sexual harassment by a police officer who had recently been rehired,” said Councilwoman Adams. “The mayor listened very carefully and asked some probing questions and assured us that she took these types of things very seriously and that she would be digging into it.”

That meeting was on Friday, June 9. As of Monday, June 12, BRPD Officer Neldare has been placed on admin leave, according to sources.

In April, UWK reported the now 56-year-old was fired in 2000 from BRPD for conduct unbecoming of an officer, sexual harassment, and lack of truthfulness following two separate assault allegations.

Internal documentation detailed illicit assaults made by Officer Neldare to a man and a woman less than a month apart. Both victims’ complaints were reviewed by the Baton Rouge Police Department’s internal affairs division and ultimately led to his termination in 2000 by then Police Chief Greg Phares.

Neldare, BRPD Police Chief Murphy Paul and Deputy Chief Myron Daniels are all members of the same fraternity Omega Psi Phi.

---