Name: Former Opelousas officer who lied to cover for Clay Higgins is now on the congressman's payroll
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Former Opelousas officer who lied to cover for Clay Higgins is now on the congressman's payroll

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You are the owner of this article.You have permission to edit this article.The Opelousas Police Department officer busted alongside now-Congressman Clay Higgins for lying to internal affairs in 2007 about the unjustified beating of a bystander has been on the congressman’s payroll since shortly after Higgins took office three and a half years ago.John Chautin, a former Opelousas patrolman, helped Higgins violently take the man — Andre “Red” Richard” — to the ground after Richard pulled up outside a house that Higgins, Chautin and other police officers were searching. An internal affairs report found that Higgins and Chautin tried to cover up the incident by lying about it.Higgins hired Chautin as a field representative for his congressional office in early February 2017, just over a month after Higgins, a Lafayette Republican, was sworn in to replace departing former U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany. Chautin was paid $69,805 in 2019, records show.Neither Chautin nor Higgins responded to messages seeking comment. Higgins’ spokesman refused interview requests about the 2007 incident last week, responding instead with a statement attacking the newspaper and vowing, “We’re not going to participate in the liberal fake news Advocate’s attempt to tear down law enforcement and demonize police officers.”The internal investigation in Opelousas later found that Higgins repeatedly grabbed Richard around the neck, struck him across the head and allegedly kicked him as he lay handcuffed.Chautin, like Higgins, lied about the incident to Capt. Craig Thomas, who investigated after Richard filed a complaint. Chautin and Higgins both falsely accused Richard of battery, claiming Richard had grabbed Higgins before the cops took him down.That story unravelled after another police officer who witnessed the incident contradicted Chautin and Higgins. Higgins later admitted lying, acknowledging he struck Richard and apologizing for his actions.Then-Opelousas Police Chief Perry Gallow recommended Higgins be demoted, removed from the SWAT team and suspended for 160 hours without pay. The Opelousas City Council later signed off on that discipline.But in the midst of another internal affairs investigation involving Higgins and Chautin, Higgins quit before his punishment could be imposed. The second investigation found at a LaPlace gas station, in uniform and driving marked police cars, en route to a SWAT competition., which was the real reason behind his resignation, also looked into whether Higgins and other members of the SWAT team had disparaged Gallow during the trip.Gallow said Monday that Chautin was also disciplined for lying, but couldn’t recall the length of his suspension. Current Opelousas Police Chief Martin McLendon didn’t immediately respond to inquiries on Monday.The biggest stories in business, delivered to you every day. Sign up today.Gallow, who left the department in 2014, said Chautin accepted the discipline — instead of resigning like Higgins — and remained an Opelousas policeman for a period of time after the incident.Higgins, meanwhile, soon landed a job with the Port Barre Police Department and then, in 2011, was hired by the St. Landry Sheriff’s Office, where his tough-talking CrimeStoppers TV segments propelled him to viral online fame.St. Landry Sheriff Bobby Guidroz said in an interview last week he would’ve never hired Higgins had he been aware of the 2007 incident.Higgins quit the Sheriff’s Office amid controversy over the insults he hurled at suspects during the clips. Guidroz said he found some of the comments unprofessional and had asked Higgins to tone down his trash talking.Guidroz said he was poised to fire Higgins in 2016 when the brash deputy abruptly called a press conference to announce his resignation, claiming Guidroz was trying to muzzle him.Guidroz accused Higgins of repeatedly defying orders — and with trying to profit in ways that ran afoul of Sheriff’s Office policy and state law, including by spending time on-the-clock hawking “Captain Higgins” merchandise and trying to line up paid speaking gigs.Emails later obtained by news outlets including the Lafayette Independent and KATC-TV also showed Higgins pitching a television show that was to star himself. In a December 2015 email to a producer, Higgins listed the potential cast of a proposed reality show featuring Higgins joining SWAT raids around the country.Among the “regular interaction characters” Higgins sketched into the show was Chautin, whom Higgins — writing in the third person — described as a “retired SWAT cop” and his “best friend, workout partner and assistant Sensei.”Rob Anderson, a Democrat who unsuccessfully ran against Higgins in 2018 and is challenging him again this year, called on Higgins to fire Chautin. Anderson accused Higgins of cronyism for hiring Chautin and claimed — without citing specific evidence — that Chautin’s job amounted to a reward for lying as part of the failed 2007 cover-up.Anderson also ripped Higgins over the incident and contended it should disqualify him from office.“That he has a say in police reform legislation makes me sick to my stomach,” Anderson said of Higgins.© Copyright 2022 , 840 St. Charles Avenue New Orleans, LA&nbsp;| &nbsp;|Powered by from .

You are the owner of this article.You have permission to edit this article.The Opelousas Police Department officer busted alongside now-Congressman Clay Higgins for lying to internal affairs in 2007 about the unjustified beating of a bystander has been on the congressman’s payroll since shortly after Higgins took office three and a half years ago.John Chautin, a former Opelousas patrolman, helped Higgins violently take the man — Andre “Red” Richard” — to the ground after Richard pulled up outside a house that Higgins, Chautin and other police officers were searching. An internal affairs...

Former Opelousas officer who lied to cover for Clay Higgins is now on the congressman's payroll

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