By Paige Gurgainers and Pat Culverhouse

A Minden police officer’s arrest has ignited controversy within city leadership and drawn strong criticism from the statewide law enforcement union, as Mayor Nick Cox and the Louisiana Law Enforcement Association (LLEA) question the judgment and leadership of Minden Police Chief Jared McIver. 

Lieutenant Christopher Hammontree, a 16-year veteran of the Minden Police Department, was arrested almost exactly a month ago on June 18 and charged with simple criminal damage to property. He has since been placed on administrative leave with pay, according to Chief McIver.

The charge, which can be classified as either a misdemeanor or felony depending on the value of the property allegedly damaged, stems from an incident investigated by the MPD’s Internal Affairs. Hammontree was reportedly released on his own recognizance by the District Attorney’s office. 

In response to the arrest, Mayor Cox issued a “respectfully” worded memo to McIver on June 20, questioning the chief’s handling of the situation. 

“After reading media reports of the arrest of Officer Hammontree, I want to respectfully express that I disagree with the decision to arrest him,” the mayor wrote. “I feel the situation could have been more appropriately addressed through a disciplinary hearing rather than an arrest.” 

Mayor Cox warned that such actions could damage morale within the department and undermine McIver’s leadership. “This approach may create unnecessary tension, affect morale within the department, and potentially impact your overall leadership,” Cox wrote. 

The controversy deepened today, July 16, when the LLEA released a public statement condemning the arrest and labeling Chief McIver’s actions as “concerning, unfair, and simply unprofessional.”  

The union alleged that MPD Lt. Jason Smith, also currently on administrative leave with pay for other alleged violations of policy, serves as the president of the local police union and was targeted because of his leadership role within the union. 

“The Chief’s behavior is so egregious that the Mayor, Nicholas Cox, has questioned his leadership ability in an official memo,” wrote Chris Stewart, Executive Director of the LLEA. “We stand united behind President Smith, the union board, and all the employees that are under McIver’s inept leadership.” 

The LLEA also signaled support from the International Union of Police Associations (IUPA), which is monitoring the situation for potential violations of labor protections. 

“We applaud Mayor Cox and any other officials in their action to attempt to put a stop to this unfortunate situation,” Stewart added. “These actions decay morale and promote a very unstable environment.” 

McIver, who currently is in Baton Rouge at a Chiefs of Police conference, said he wondered why the executive director of LLEA didn’t reach out to him prior to sending the news release.

“I’m a little surprised Mr. Stewart would take the word of a single individual in something as important as this without trying to get all the information,” McIver said. “I would have talked with him without reservation.”

McIver also said he had discussed the memo with Mayor Cox, explaining who ultimately made the decision to file a criminal charge against Hammontree.

“That decision was made by the District Attorney following a review of the facts made in the complaint,” McIver said. “We investigated the circumstances and turned over our information. The determination on the charge filed came directly from the D.A. himself.”