LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville Metro Police Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel was placed on paid administrative leave Wednesday after Mayor Craig Greenberg became aware of how she "handled a workplace sexual harassment allegation involving LMPD officers."

Greenberg said in a late-afternoon news conference that the allegation didn't involve Gwinn-Villaroel, rather her handling of it once it was reported to her.

Retired FBI agent David Beyer will lead an independent investigation into the chief's handling of the allegation, Greenberg said. A separate, independent investigation will look into the harassment claim itself. Beyer previously investigated Metro Corrections and sexual harassment allegations at TARC at the request of the Metro Council. 

"This situation is especially concerning given that, just last month, the United states Department of Justice raised serious concerns about LMPD's handling of sexual misconduct allegations," Greenberg said. "I will not tolerate sexual misconduct in Louisville Metro Government, including in LMPD."

Deputy Chief Paul Humphrey will lead the department in an "acting chief" role. Humphrey joined LMPD in 2006 and spent several years as a 1st and 6th division officer in the Newburg and Russell neighborhoods. In 2010, he joined the SWAT team and became the commander of the team in 2017.

In August 2019, Humphrey was promoted to a major and was named director of training and recruitment. In March 2021, he was promoted to assistant chief, also taking over command of LMPD's administrative bureau.

Humphrey said he is "committed to moving the department forward" and said LMPD will cooperate with the investigation. 

"LMPD takes allegations of sexual misconduct very seriously," he said. "We will treat this process with the seriousness it deserves and respect the conclusions the independent investigation will find and the decisions the mayor makes as a result. We will not let this be a distraction." 

Greenberg did not offer details about the sexual harassment allegations, except to say he was recently made aware of the allegations and would provide more information to Beyer.

Beyer was hired Monday. 

Asked by a reporter if he had heard a recording of the chief's reaction to the allegations, Greenberg said "I have not heard any of the recordings you are referring to." 

WAVE3 had a story that was set to air at 5 p.m. Wednesday.  It included audio of the chief meeting with her command staff and promoting a male officer to Lt. Col. right after a female major had accused him of sexual harassment.

"I've heard your concern," the chief said, according to the audio from the WAVE story. "We'll have to revisit on the status moving forward."

Attorney Jared Smith, who represents Shannon Lauder, the officer who alleged sexual harassment, said in a statement that Gwinn-Villaroel's comments were "aggressive and threatening." 

"The environment does not feel welcoming or safe." he said in a statement. "The Chief’s response to Major Lauder’s allegation paints an unsettling picture of a department lacking strong leadership and failing to prioritize the well-being of its officers. We are currently looking into this matter and Major Lauder is taking time to process what occurred and explore her options. We are encouraged by the action Mayor Greenburg has taken."

Gwinn-Villaroel was named permanent chief of LMPD last July after spending nearly two years with the department as a deputy chief and interim chief. She was serving as interim chief when an Old National Bank employee opened fire at an office building in downtown Louisville and when the Department of Justice released a scathing report that rebuked LMPD's actions over the last several years. 

Prompted by the death of Breonna Taylor in 2020, the Justice Department's review concluded that it has probable cause to believe that LMPD and Metro Government "engage in a pattern or practice of conduct that deprives people of their rights under the Constitution and federal law" that includes excessive force, searches based on invalid warrants and conducting unlawful traffic and pedestrian stops.

Police took a closer look at 33 cases of possible officer misconduct flagged in the report released in March 2023 that either were not formally investigated or weren't investigated at all. After a formal review of the cases, the chief said "no further formal investigations will occur."

Gwinn-Villaroel and attorneys for the city have repeatedly downplayed the DOJ findings in court during civil lawsuits against LMPD. In sworn testimony, she repeatedly called the DOJ findings "allegations" that had nothing to do with the case at hand, a lawsuit filed by the family of Trevon Mitchell, who was killed when a suspect blew through a stoplight and hit his moped.

In November, Gwinn-Villaroel testified under oath in the trial of Mitchell's death that she wasn't wearing a body camera on the scene of a fatal crash in 2021, only to have the attorney for victims of the crash provide photographic proof she was.

Gwinn-Villaroel was called to the stand in the civil trial involving LMPD Officer Ben Sullivan for a 2021 police chase that ended in a fatal crash at the intersection Broadway and Dr. W. J. Hodge Street. The chief testified that the pursuit, which was against department policy, did not cause the crash that killed Mitchell.

After allegations that the pursuit may have been racially biased, Gwinn-Villaroel testified that there was no body camera footage from her device because she was not wearing a camera when visiting the scene. But attorneys later showed a snapshot of video from the scene revealing that Gwinn-Villaroel was wearing a body camera.

Most recently, LMPD was in the limelight on a national level following the arrest of Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1-ranked golfer in the world, outside Valhalla Golf Club in east Louisville during PGA Championship week. Three LMPD officers initially failed to turn on their body cameras when Scheffler was arrested May 17 for allegedly refusing to stop while entering Valhalla and dragging an officer — charges that have since been dismissed.

Detectives Bryan Gillis and Kelvin Watkins and Officer Javar Downs were found to have not turned on their body cams, in violation of police policy, according to 63-pages of documents, pictures and an investigative file released Friday. The officers had to fill out "Failure to Activate" forms. Gillis received counseling. 

There is no body-worn camera footage of the incident before Gillis was allegedly assaulted. In addition to being disciplined for failing to turn on his body cam, Gillis was also verbally counseled for reaching into a vehicle while it was running.

"Tactically speaking, he acted poorly by adding layers of risk to what amounted to a misunderstanding over a traffic violation (per KRS an arrestable (sic) B Misdemeanor) and thus little reward," according to the investigation.

Gwinn-Villaroel came to Louisville after serving as "Training Academy Commander" for the Atlanta Police Department, working "tirelessly to incorporate a variety of initiatives advancing police training to meet recommendations in the President's Task Force on Policing in the 21st Century," LMPD said in a news release when she was hired as deputy chief.

Gwinn-Villaroel was described as a devoted wife and mother. She served as senior pastor of Atlanta's Unstoppable Praise Ministry in Atlanta. Prior to that, she led First Gethsemane Baptist Church in Atlanta. According to that church's website, Gwinn-Villaroel's husband, David Villaroel, is also in law enforcement. He is listed as a major with APD and director of communication.

Erika Shields, then the chief of LMPD, worked with Gwinn-Villaroel for more than 20 years at APD.

This story may be updated.

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