LISTEN: Fired Lafayette Police Chief Calls Into Mayor’s Radio Show

Seven days after Lafayette Mayor-President Josh Guillory dismissed Police Chief Thomas Glover from his position, Glover asked Guillory directly why he was fired.

That question came during Thursday morning's live edition of Lafayette Live, Guillory's weekly call-in program on KPEL. Glover called in the show's final segment to confront Guillory about his firing.

Glover's call came after another caller asked Guillory about his decision to fire Glover. Guillory refused to answer the first caller's question, citing privacy issues.

"We're all committed to public safety here," Guillory said. "That's kind of my motivation to work with (newly-appointed interim chief Wayne Griffin). It's a personnel matter in regards to our former chief. It's more proper to discuss with our human resources director and legal department, but I'm looking forward to the future, and I know our police department is in good hands."

When the caller pressed Guillory for an answer about why he fired Glover, Guillory reiterated his previous response.

"We're just focused on the future, and if I could say some other things, I would. We're going to respect the process. It's a personnel matter, and we're going to leave it at that."

Glover then called into the show. Before addressing Guillory, he congratulated Griffin on becoming the new chief.

"I have nothing at all but good things to say about Wayne Griffin," Glover said of the new chief. "I noticed when I got there what his role was and kept him close to me."

Glover then directed his attention to Guillory.

"He terminated me illegally without any reason," Glover said of Guillory. "He actually is now trying to manufacture things--going around and asking officers and people in the community what did I do as chief of police so he can come up with something. It seems like the cart before the horse. He should have asked what I was doing before he terminated me, so I'm very disappointed."

Glover then touted his record as police chief, especially in rebuilding the community's relationship with the police department.

"The Lafayette Police Department is the closest to the community than it has ever been," Glover said. "I started the Community Relations Committee meetings back up when I took office. The walk that's scheduled for October 25 (and) all the food that's being served, I orchestrated that.

"All of the murders that were committed in Lafayette were bad--they were terrible--but I had developed such a close relationship with the community that all of them have been solved with the exception of one. So I'm very disappointed. There has to be a way for the mayor-president to explain to the community and to me why I was terminated without any reason."

Glover closed by saying the matter is not over.

"I am relentless in my pursuit for justice. I will continue this for the next two years through election time. I will not stop. He is counting on the people of Lafayette having a short memory. He's counting on the people forgiving him for the injustice that he did to me, and he's going to--I promise you--he's going to pursue and do the same thing for the next two years what I've been doing for the last 10 months."

"The group I will never cut short is the people of Lafayette," Guillory responded. "As a former employee, everybody has the right to go to the media and say what they want. As the mayor-president, I don't always have that luxury. It's not responsible for me to do that. Those conversations as far as previous employment (and) personnel files--it really is a personnel matter, and I'm going to respect the process, and I'm going to respect all of our former employees--all of them--and defer to our (human resources) department (and) legal department."

To hear the segment featuring Glover's call and Guillory's response, click the YouTube link below.