Murphy Paul Takes Aim At Head of BRPD Union - Opens IA Investigation and Demotes Him

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The head of Baton Rouge police union has been placed under internal investigation and faces possible discipline for his actions the night of the 2016 Alton Sterling shooting.

The union president, Sgt. C. Bryan Taylor, said Police Chief Murphy Paul issued a "predisciplinary letter" last week accusing Taylor of violating a department protocol that requires officers involved in a shooting be separated from each other. That requirement is intended to preserve the integrity of an investigation and to prevent officers from colluding on a version of events before they have been interviewed by the department.

The investigation is the latest sign of strife between the police union and Paul. Taylor, who has consistently butted heads with the new chief, is accused of failing to "carry out orders" after responding to the Sterling scene.

In a telephone interview Tuesday, Taylor described the internal inquiry as political payback for the police union's criticism of Paul after the chief fired Blane Salamoni, the officer who fatally shot Sterling outside the Triple S Food Mart. Paul also suspended Howie Lake II, the second officer involved in the deadly encounter with Sterling.

Taylor said he had been off duty and responded to the scene of the shooting only as a union representative. He said there were a number of other supervisors on scene tasked with separating Salamoni and Lake.

"Sometimes, when you stand up for what’s right, and what you were elected to do, there's retribution," Taylor said, adding he intends to fight the allegation when he appears before the chief at a predisciplinary hearing in July. "I clearly was not the supervisor on scene that night. Obviously this is an attack on me, for one reason or another."

"Out of all the supervisors on scene that night, I'm the one being investigated," Taylor added. "At no time did I control that scene."

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The development came just days after Taylor was transferred from his role as commander of the department's intelligence division to patrol — a significant demotion that Taylor says has not been explained to him.

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Asked Tuesday whether Paul has the support of rank and file officers, Taylor said, "Overall, I would say no." But he dismissed rumors circulating within the department about planned "sick-outs," in which officers had discussed calling in sick en masse to protest Salamoni's firing.

"The men and women of the Baton Rouge Police Department, especially union members, will not punish the community for the actions of politicians," Taylor said.

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