A police officer in Louisiana was allowed to retire while being internally investigated for allegedly beating his wife on camera.
Former police captain Dwayne Prejean abruptly retired on Friday.
Earlier in the week, video of a man using a cellphone to attack a woman’s head inside of a Lafayette bar appeared online and in various media accounts.
In that video, the couple appear to be arguing. Then the man appears to strike the woman in her face. The woman next makes a motion suggesting that she’s wiping tears from her eyes. The couple continue their feud until the woman takes a wine glass to the man’s face–apparently causing some sort of laceration tended to by bar napkins.
On Tuesday of this week, the Lafayette Police Department (“LPD”) announced an internal criminal investigation was underway.
Three days later, the cop in question was allowed to retire. While the LPD is keeping mum about their personnel matter, multiple sources identified the man as Prejean, according to local media.
LPD spokesperson Karl Ratcliff confirmed the officer’s retirement to local CBS affiliate KLFY 10. Ratcliff said that despite being allowed the honor of retirement, the internal investigation was still ongoing.
Prejean’s had some troubles before.
In 2014, he was named in a federal lawsuit filed by 15 former police officers alleging a widespread conspiracy of corruption and retaliation within the LPD. That lawsuit was ultimately dismissed.
And, in 2016, Prejean was transferred from his post as a metropolitan narcotics officer due to a murky scandal involving a fired assistant district attorney. No disciplinary action was sought for those involved.
[image via screengrab/KLFY 10]
Follow Colin Kalmbacher on Twitter: @colinkalmbacher
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