BRPD sergeant put on desk duty after driving, working on suspended license

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BATON ROUGE — A Baton Rouge Police Department sergeant has been placed on restricted duty after questions from the WBRZ Investigative Unit revealed he had been driving on a suspended license.

Sgt. Joshua Kirst's license was apparently suspended due to tax problems, and it's unclear how long he had been driving without a valid license.

Chief TJ Morse moved Kirst to desk duty after the WBRZ Investigative Unit raised questions. Kirst had been working uniform patrol before the change.

Kirst has been with the Baton Rouge Police Department for two decades. On restricted duty, he will not be able to work extra duty or overtime.

Morse told the WBRZ Investigative Unit the situation is more of an ethical violation and that any citations Kirst issued while his license was suspended likely will not be called into question. However, Morse said Kirst will face a harsher penalty for driving on a suspended license than an average civilian would.

The restricted duty will remain in place until the investigation is resolved. Past traffic citations issued by Kirst are expected to remain valid and will not be called into question.

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