LOUISIANA, USA — The Louisiana State Police chief, Superintendent Col. Lamar A. Davis, announced his retirement on Saturday afternoon.
Davis said he will step down from the position on Jan.8 in an email sent to troopers, according to a newspaper obtained by our partners at Nola.com.
His plan to retire comes on the same day that Republican governor-elect, Jeff Landry, is set to start his role in the governor's office.
Davis is the fourth African American superintendent in the history of State Police and a Baton Rouge Native.
According to Nola.com, Davis wrote to troopers that the agency experienced "tumultuous times" that led to harsh criticism and "distrust by those we swore to serve and protect". He said the criticism resulted in multiple investigations and questioning of the agency's morale.
Davis entered the role as State Police chief in 2020 following superintendent Col. Kevin Reeves, who retired after concerns grew surrounding the brutal death of Ronald Greene in 2019. Body camera footage showed law enforcement beating him after a high-speed chase in Ouachita Parish.
During his three-year tenure, Davis advocated for policy changes, worked to gain trust from the public, and implemented his own reforms for the agency. One of them includes a specialized force investigation team to probe in-custody deaths and shootings, Nola.com said.
Our partners at Nola.com noted that a State Police spokesperson and a spokesperson form Gov. John Bel Edwards, who appointed Davis, did not immediately return a request for comment.
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