Louisville police chief suspended for handling allegations of sexual harassment of officers

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Louisville’s police chief has been placed on leave over her handling of a sexual harassment allegation against her officers, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said Wednesday.

In the surprise move, Greenberg announced the suspension of Police Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel, less than a year after she first black woman to head the department in a full-time position.

Greenberg said the chief was not directly involved in the harassment incident.

“It’s about her handling of the allegation after it was reported to her,” Greenberg said at a press conference on Wednesday evening. Greenberg did not elaborate on the nature of the allegation.

There was a revolving door at the top of the leadership in the Louisville Police Department since Breonna Taylor was shot by police during a botched raid in 2020. Gwinn-Villaroel is the third full-time chief since Taylor’s death, and the department has also had three interim chiefs, including one term by Gwinn-Villaroel.

She came to Louisville from the Atlanta Police Department in 2021 along with former Police Chief Erika Shields, whom she hired as deputy police chief. Gwinn-Villaroel was appointed full-time boss in July 2023.

As interim head, Greenberg praised Gwinn-Villaroel for the treatment of the department a mass shooting in which five people were killed in a downtown bank in 2023. Louisville police responded quickly and shot the gunman in the building’s lobby minutes after a 911 call.

But on Wednesday, Greenberg said he was seriously concerned about her handling of the sexual harassment allegation, particularly given previous criticism from the U.S. Department of Justice on the matter.

The Justice Department conducted a comprehensive investigation of the police department after Taylor’s death and found that the Louisville Police Department had repeatedly discriminated against and violated constitutional rights. The Justice Department said it found “deficiencies” in the Louisville Police Department’s response to allegations of sexual misconduct or domestic violence among officers.

Louisville police also recently attracted unwanted attention when they arrested and detained Scottie Scheffler, the world’s top professional golfer, who attempted to enter a Louisville golf course hosting the PGA Championship. Images of Scheffler in handcuffs and his mug shot were on television screens for days. Charges against Scheffler were eventually dropped after a prosecutor determined it was a misunderstanding.

Gwinn-Villaroel will be placed on temporary leave, Greenberg said. He appointed Deputy Chief Paul Humphrey as acting chief for the duration of the investigation.