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State police head Kevin Reeves retiring in wake of controversies at LSP
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BATON ROUGE - Governor Edwards announced Tuesday that Louisiana State Police Superintendent Kevin Reeves is retiring from LSP effective Friday.
The announcement comes after the agency came under fire for several controversies exposed by the Investigative Unit in recent months. Earlier this month, the NAACP called for Reeves' resignation over two separate incidents at State Police.
First, it was learned that a state trooper was caught calling a co-worker a "f****** n*****" but was never disciplined. Then an investigation was opened into the death of a Black man who died after a 2019 chase with state troopers. Audio from one of the trooper's recording devices, obtained more than a year later, caught the officer saying he " beat the ever living f*** out of him."
The governor said Tuesday he expects a replacement will be named in the coming days and said he did not ask for Reeves to retire.
Click here for Reeve's retirement statement from attorneys representing the Greene family.
Tuesday, we also learned that Jacob Brown was placed on leave for excessive force in 2019. Brown is the son of Bob Brown, the Colonel's right hand man. State Police have refused to answer questions about why he was placed on leave last week, when the incident occurred last year. The WBRZ Investigative Unit requested an interview with Reeves. We never heard back.
You can read the full announcement from the governor's office below.
Today, Gov. John Bel Edwards announced the retirement of Col. Kevin Reeves from the Louisiana State Police, after 30 years of service. Reeves has been planning his retirement since last year and it will be effective on Friday, October 31. A replacement will be named in the coming days.
“I am deeply grateful to Col. Reeves for his decades of dedicated service as the consummate law enforcement professional committed to serving and protecting the people of Louisiana. Public safety has always been his highest priority,” Gov. Edwards said. “I have appreciated his partnership and counsel for the past several years as Superintendent, especially as Louisiana has navigated cybersecurity incidents, natural disasters, peaceful protests and the COVID pandemic. Throughout his career with Louisiana State Police, from his early time on motorcycle patrols to his promotion to Superintendent, Col. Reeves has been a model of professionalism. His experience made him a steady and strong leader in trying times, and I personally thank him and, on behalf of the state of Louisiana, I wish him and his family well in his much-deserved retirement.”
“It has truly been an honor to serve as Superintendent of the Louisiana State Police and Deputy Secretary of the Department of Public Safety,” Col. Reeves said. “I am forever grateful to Governor Edwards for having the faith and confidence in me and, more importantly, for the support he provides the men and women of the Louisiana State Police. As humbling as this opportunity has been, my greatest professional accomplishment remains the title of Trooper, a title I have the honor of sharing with the over 1,100 men and women who wear our badge. Throughout my career, I have advocated for the men and women of the Louisiana State Police and the heroic work they do each and every day. They will always be family. As I reflect on my career, one thing is for certain, none of this would have been possible without the unwavering support of my family and I look forward to heading back to north Louisiana and spending more time with them.”
Reeves was appointed the 25th Superintendent of the Louisiana State Police in March 2017. Reeves’ career with LSP started in 1990 as a trooper on motorcycle patrols for Troop A in Baton Rouge. His career in the State Police brought him to Troop F in Monroe in 1993, where he served as a squad leader for the mobile field force and as a case agent and undercover agent on many narcotics investigations and operations for the Bureau of Investigations. In 2008, he was promoted to Troop Commander of Troop F before assuming the role of Command Inspector of Patrol Operations and Commander of Statewide Mobile Field Force Team in 2013.
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