Hearing on police chief grows contentious

The fate of Baton Rouge Police Chief Dewayne White hangs in the balance this morning, as Mayor Kip Holden is deliberating whether to fire the chief, who was placed on leave earlier this month. The deliberations follow a public dismissal hearing held this morning in Metro Council chambers. The packed hearing was contentious right off the bat, as Holden’s attorney, Murphy Foster, and White’s attorney, Jill Craft, immediately began arguing over the rules of the hearing. Its purpose was to give White an opportunity to rebut the reasons for his proposed termination, which were delineated in a five-page letter the mayor’s office released last week. That letter accuses White of insubordination and leaking confidential information, among other things. White has accused the mayor or micromanaging the department. About the only thing no one disagrees on is that White and the powerful police union were frequently and increasingly at odds. Going into this morning’s hearing, council members were sympathetic to White, as have been their constituents. “From the community’s perspective, I have not had one person tell me they think the chief is doing a bad job,” says Councilmember Tara Wicker. “The feedback I’m getting is that he is doing a good job.” Wicker believes White is less interested in saving his job than in collecting compensation for wrongful termination. She adds: “He also may be just trying to clear his name … and to let the community know he’s not going to go down without a fight.” —Stephanie Riegel