By Paige Gurgainers and Pat Culverhouse
Wednesday’s news release from Louisiana Law Enforcement Association Executive Director Chris Stewart accuses Minden Chief of Police Jared McIver of “steps that are concerning, unfair and simply unprofessional…” regarding placing MPD Det. Jason Smith on administrative leave with pay.
According to the release, the chief allegedly placed Smith on leave “…purely because of his role as union representative.” Smith is President of the Minden Police Association and president of the civil service board.
McIver said he was surprised the executive director of LLEA didn’t reach out to him prior to sending the news release.
“I wonder why Mr. Stewart would take the word of a single individual in something as important as this without trying to get all the pertinent information,” McIver said. “I would have talked with him without reservation.”
Smith reportedly remains on administrative leave with pay pending Minden city council approval of a termination request following a review by a panel that included McIver, MPD personnel, the city attorney and the city’s HR director.
Smith reportedly was placed on leave for violations of policy after aggressively questioning the department’s handling of the arrest of Minden police officer, Lt. Chris Hammontree who is also on leave pending a termination determination by the Minden City Council.
In the release, Stewart referenced a memo to Chief McIver from Minden Mayor Nick Cox. That memo, dated June 20, referred to the arrest of Hammontree.
In the memo, Cox wrote, “After reading media reports of the arrest of Officer Hammontree, I want to respectfully disagree with the decision to arrest him. ”
Later in the memo, the mayor added, “I feel the situation could have been more appropriately addressed through a disciplinary hearing rather than an arrest… I’m concerned this approach may create unnecessary tension, affect morale with the department and potentially impact your overall leadership.”
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.”
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. An investigation into the alleged incident is continuing, McIver said.
Editor’s note: Lt. Jason Smith forwarded a statement to the Webster Parish Journal. Smith’s statement follows.
Statement from Jason Smith
President, Minden Police Association, Local 649
This is a tumultuous time within the Minden Police Department. Over the past year, morale among our officers has steadily declined due to a pattern of unethical, immoral, and, in some cases, unlawful conduct by individuals in leadership positions.
The Minden Police Association stands firmly against retaliatory practices, illegal terminations, and any abuse of authority that undermines the integrity of our department and the well-being of its officers. We remain committed to transparency, accountability, and restoring trust—both within the department and with the community we proudly serve.
We are joined in solidarity by the Louisiana Law Enforcement Association (LLEA) and the International Union of Police Associations (IUPA), both of which stand ready to support our members in holding leadership accountable.
Original story: https://websterparishjournal.com/2025/07/16/special-edition-mpd-officers-arrest-stirs-major-controversy/