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Wednesday, October 19, 2011

[LA] Sheriff's candidate Mike Tregre vows to not ignore officer-involved domestic violence like Sheriff Jones did

St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana


"...When I told Sheriff Wayne Jones that one of his deputies was abusing me, he refused to take action, he refused to help me. In fact, he politely escorted me out the door. I brought an overwelming amount of evidence to Sheriff Jones. I showed him medical reports and played voice mail messages where I was being threatened. I went a second time to see Sheriff Jones.
Again, he said he was not going to take any action against his lieutenant. I asked if I could see Internal Affairs and he said no, everything had to go through him. I left sobbing and terrified because when you go to the highest ranking officer who is governing all these other officers, and he discounts you completely, you feel hopeless... I felt hopeless. I was raped and beaten and he put a 9 mm Glock to my head threatening to kill me. 
I decided once and for all that I had to take action, and I reported my terror to the State Police. My abuser, Sheriff Jones' lieutenant, was indicted for aggravated rape and arrested... I lived to tell my story. But I still can't believe Sheriff Jones refused to protect me. Now, I'm taking action to protect you from Sheriff Jones."

UPDATE:
"I was head of Internal Affairs at that time, and I was NEVER made aware this investigation was active or ongoing - until I saw it in the media"..

ST. JOHN SHERIFF RUNNING FOR RE-ELECTION AGAINST ONE OF HIS TOP DEPUTIES
wwltv.com, Eyewitness News 
Paul Murphy
October 19, 2011
[Excerpts] This Saturday, one of the big elections in the River Parishes is the race for Sheriff in St. John Parish. It pits a longtime incumbent against one of his former top deputies. Wayne Jones has been sheriff for the past 16 years... His opponent Mike Tregre is a 23-year veteran and former spokesman for the department. "I know the ins and outs of St. John Sheriff's Office... One thorny topic during the campaign is a video put out by Tregre, featuring a woman who claims one of the sheriff's former top lieutenants beat his girlfriend and Jones failed to take action. "I was head of internal affairs at the time and I was never was made aware that this investigation was active or ongoing until I saw it in the media," said Tregre. Sheriff Jones says his department investigated the matter which is seven years old. "This officer pleaded guilty to a felony, served time in jail, and the person who is in the commercial, Mrs. Mutz agreed to the plea," said Jones. "The sheriff provided court records to back up the claim. Sheriff Jones says he still considers Tregre a friend. "He's a nice person, doesn't have the administrative experience I have as far running a department of 300 people and a $26 million budget," said Jones. "Crime is up in St. John Parish," said Tregre. "The morale is down at the St. John Sheriff's office."... [Full article here]

[police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence ipv abuse law enforcement public safety lethal louisiana teflon corruption sex sexual assault st. john the baptist parish louisiana state politics "Tracey's Story"]

8 comments:

  1. I LOVE that Mike Tregre plans on having random drug testing. WHY NOT? Anyone who opposes that is not a professional. Police unions have a tizzy but nothing good can come from substance abuse while performing your duties as a law enforcement officer. Include alcohol on-the-job use too.

    ReplyDelete
  2. What is the most horrible thing about this situation, is that Wayne Jones has a good chance of being re-elected agin. Schaeffer was only being violent because he knew he could get away with it. Wayne Jones slapped a handcuffed traffic violater on a stop at the corner of Elm and West 5th Streets when he first got elected Sheriff in 1996. Schaeffer was there, and helped cover it up. Hence, Wayne Jones owed him. Wayne Jones saw Schaeffer streak naked through a campaign fundraiser, and did nothing. Schaeffer assaulted people at a bar in Laplace, started trespassing in the nearby neighborhood, and then threatened the responding officers. Again, Wayne Jones did nothing! Wayne Jones has been elected four times with numerous officers knowingly committing malfeasance under his watch. A Deputy only got suspended after writing numerous "phantom" tickets to people out of the phone book to get paid overtime on a speeding detail when should have been fired, like the NOPD Officer who did the same thing. I really wish the FBI would look into Wayne Jones' history at the Sheriff's Office, because he appears to be as abusive with his power as Schaeffer was!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Youtube video
    Louisiana Women Claim Ex-Deputy Beat Them
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ba_i_9oJyNs
    WDSUTV on Oct 23, 2007

    [Note: Sheriff Jones knows how to pronounce Tracey's last name correctly in this video.]

    Video opens with snips from three different women stating they were sexually assaulted by St. John the Baptist Sheriff's Detective Lt. Wayne Schaeffer. Jessica, whose complaint goest back to 1999, filed a complaint against Schaeffer then for sexual battery.

    [Video pans over 1999 sexual battery complaint document.]

    Narration: "Jessica filed this complaint against Schaeffer with the St. John Sheriff's Office, alleging sexual battery. When she inquired about her complaint later, she said she was stunned to find out Schaeffer had only been suspended."

    Jessica: "I came home and in the next couple of days I made an appointment with the sheriff. So I went and saw the sheriff to let him know that I wasn't satisfied with that, and um, and he told me that Mr. Schaeffer had some, um, personal problems and that was none of my concern and his decision was final."

    [Scene switches to Sheriff Jones office]

    Reporter to Jones: "Do you recall that?"

    Jones: "No, no, that's why I'm having it resarched now."

    Narration; [Image of document showing "dock" date shown.] "Records show Schaeffer WAS suspended for five days without pay, but never arrested or charged with a crime."

    [Video moves to Tracey Mutz - her talking about the abuse, video displays photos of her facial and leg bruises and also Mutz and Schaeffer as a couple, together.]

    Narration: "Following one incident in May of 2006 the emergency room doctors called the sheriff's office."

    Reporter to Tracey: "Was he ever fired?"

    Tracey: "No."

    Reporter: "And why didn't you press formal charges against him?"

    Tracey: "Because I was terrified of him. I knew he was going to kill me."

    [Switch scene - reporter in Sheriff Jones Office. Sheriff Jones looking at photos of Tracey Mutz's bruises.]

    Sheriff Jones: "I didn't see these photos. Um."

    Reporter: "You're seeing them now."

    Sheriff Jones: "Yeah, I'm seeing them now. Uh, this is disturbing. No doubt about it. Um, the only thing I had from the um, uh the only thing I had back in 2006 was the officer who was at the hospital, who worked the um, who worked the complaint when Ms. Mutz came in, and uh, stating that she didn't want to pursue it any further, but I think YOU AND I BOTH KNOW, that's not uncommon for a, uh, a, a, spouse, or, um a, a, a aquaintance to do that. Ya know, it's very concerning, uh..."

    Reporter: "Why didn't you order an administrative investigation at that time?"

    Sheriff Jones: [Awkward pause.] "At, at, ah, at that time, UM, [pause, looking up to the left] at that time we, um, I think Chief [Harold] Klibert had looked into it, UH, for some reason he did not order one at that time. Uh, when she came in to see me [2007] - that's when I ordered the investigation." [VICTIM STATES THAT JONES DID NOT THEN ORDER AN INVESTIGATION. HE ESCORTED HER OUT OF THE BUILDING AND TOLD HER THAT HE WOULDN'T TAKE ANY ACTION.]

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wayne Jones provided a letter that was dated retroactively because a detective went over his head when he wouldn't take action. His letter was a CYA (his a$$).

      Delete
  4. [CONTINUED]


    Video image: Camera sweeps over a document, date not visible, addressed to Colonel Henry L. Whitehorn, Superintendent of Louisiana State Police. "Dear Colonel Whitehorn: I am writing this letter to request State Police assistance in investigating allegations of domestic abuse against one of my detectives. I have given all pertinent details to Captain Mark Fornet [sp? SJBSO Fournet?] and ***he asked me**** to write this request to you...."

    Narration: "Sheriff Jones says he DID turn matters over to the state police when subordinates told him Schaeffer had allegedly raped Tracey Mutz at gunpoint. Mutz had ordered Schaeffer out of the house moments earlier and the state police investigation led them to a third alleged victim Lisa St. Martin..."

    [No date was visible on the camera's sweep of the letter.

    ====

    Reporter says Wayne Schaeffer fired last week after our interview with the sheriff.
    The sexual assault accusations against the accused deputy go back at least as far as 1999

    ReplyDelete
  5. To anonymous, do you mean "slapped" like a teenage girl wrist bend kind of slap, white glove slap, a body-wind all-your-strength discus thrower kind of slap, a backhand slap, rolled up fist slap, a singular slap or "slapped" multiple times? I'm not quite clear on the language. I'm trying to figure out what KIND of slap would deserve the kind of favors that Schaeffer received in return.

    ReplyDelete
  6. 10/20/11 10:35 AM
    http://www.nola.com/forums/rivertownhall/index.ssf?artid=216132

    "...'Wayne Jones beat the mess out of the guy while he was cuffed'. Schaeffer covered it up."

    ReplyDelete
  7. Congratulations to St. John the Baptist Parish.

    ReplyDelete

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