Police Chief Demands Resignation of KKK Cop
The police chief of Lake Arthur, La., is demanding the resignation of a detective who was a member of the Ku Klux Klan in 2014 when he attended an anti-immigration rally in North Carolina.
If Det. Raymond Mott -- now on leave without pay -- doesn鈥檛 resign by Wednesday, Lake Arthur Police Chief Police Chief Ray Marcantel says he will ask the town council to fire the officer for being a Klan member and attending the rally.
The detective has made more recent arrests than any other officer with the tiny Lake Arthur Police Department, and now those cases are under review for possible bias, given Mott鈥檚 involvement with the KKK, officials say.
Details of the chief鈥檚 plan to fire the detective for his involvement with the Loyal White Knights of the KKK were publicly divulged in three news stories published this past week in the Jennings, La., Daily News.聽
The newspaper stories came just days after a photograph of the detective -- wearing a Klan paramilitary unit with the tradition KKK patch -- was widely circulated on social media.聽
The brewing Lake Arthur case is the latest incident in which police officers have been publicly identified as active members of hate groups.聽 Earlier this summer, two lieutenants with the Anniston, Ala., police department were identified by 澳彩开奖 as members of the neo-Confederate hate group League of the South (LOS).聽 One of those Anniston officers was fired and the other retired.
Now in Louisiana, Mott says he won鈥檛 resign and promises to sue.聽 He claims the photograph of him in a KKK uniform, doing a Nazi salute, was forwarded to the Lake Arthur Police Department four months ago, and that the matter was kept quiet until Daily News reporters began asking questions last week.
Mott claimed the picture of him in the KKK uniform was leaked because he refused to continue participating in the hate group鈥檚 activities, the newspaper reported.
鈥淚 refuse to resign,鈥� the detective told the newspaper. 鈥淚 have been baptized 鈥� after the events and have the documents to prove that 鈥� and a short while after my baptism, I have become an ordained minister and started a charity-based ministry in Lake Arthur.鈥�
Mott initially claimed he attended the Klan rally in Troy, N.C., while on a 鈥渟ecret mission鈥� for the FBI, but he later said that wasn鈥檛 true.聽
In its Sunday editions, the Daily News reported Mott attended the Klan rally 鈥渙n his own free will.鈥澛� He described that decision 鈥渁s ignorant but maintained he did nothing wrong,鈥� the newspaper reported.
鈥淪everal investigations have been completed to prove that,鈥� the detective said, confirming his identity in the photograph. 聽鈥淚 am in the right here.
鈥淚 have never even had a negative write-up in my file since my start in law enforcement as a reserve in 2006,鈥� Mott told the Jennings newspaper. 聽鈥淚 am not going to quit my job because I made a decision to support a cause I thought was right at the time - illegal immigration not racism,鈥� he added.
The police chief did not return a call from Hatewatch for comment.
聽鈥淭his is just an unpleasant situation,鈥� the chief told the Jennings newspaper.聽 Marcantel said he asked Mott 鈥渢o resign because I thought it would be easier on everyone involved, including him. I felt this was the best thing for the department and the people of Lake Arthur.
鈥淭hese are my people and I want to serve them well,鈥� the chief added.聽 鈥淚 like the man. He鈥檚 a good officer and I hate that this happened, but I still have to do the right thing and I will.鈥�
Marcantel said he did a 鈥渢horough background鈥� check prior to hiring Mott, checking with three other police agencies where Mott apparently worked.聽 Those agencies weren鈥檛 publicly identified by the chief who said Mott鈥檚 鈥渃redentials showed no questionable history.鈥�
鈥淓verything was clear with his background check,鈥� the chief told the newspaper. 鈥淚 did everything I was supposed to do then, and now I鈥檓 just trying to do my job and keep the peace.
Meanwhile, Michael Cassidy, the district attorney for the 31st Judicial District Court, said arrests made by Mott leading the prosecutions will be reviewed.
鈥淐ertainly I am concerned because I recognize that all law enforcement officers should be objective and unbiased in order to do their jobs fairly and consistently,鈥� Cassidy told the newspaper.
