Fire Law Blog Fire Service and Public Safety Legal Issues Blog by Curt Varone
The strange bullying case that resulted in criminal charges against seven Shreveport firefighters including the fire chief, just got a lot stranger with the filing of a retaliation lawsuit by the police detective who headed the investigation.
Shreveport homicide detective Rod Demery has filed suit against Police Chief Willie Shaw and the city of Shreveport claiming that as a result of his diligent work into the bullying case he was retaliated against.
The complaint filed yesterday in 1st Judicial District Court in Caddo Parrish seeks a temporary restraining order initially and eventually an injunction prohibiting the department from transferring him and interfering with the investigation. Demery claims he has been the victim of repeated frivolous internal affairs complaints and that Chief Shaw has seeking to transfer him.
Demery’s claims arise out of an investigation into allegations that five firefighters from Station 8 engaged in mean-spirited pranks and bullying of two mentally disabled men who were regulars at the station. Earlier this year Fire Chief Craig Mulford was indicted on five counts of malfeasance in office over his handling of the case, and Assistant Fire Chief Tommy Carpenter was charged with lying to a grand jury.
Here is a copy of the complaint: Demery v Shaw
Accompanying the complaint are recusal orders from all three of the judges in the 1st Judicial District. Each judge has cited personal friendships with one or more of the parties involved.
