OPELOUSAS, La. — The Opelousas City Council held a special meeting on Monday where they voted unanimously to terminate the police officer accused of beating a hospitalized teenager.
The council held a pre-disciplinary hearing on Monday for embattled police officer Sgt. Tyron Andrepont, who was booked in June with five counts malfeasance in office.
Andrepont had been on administrative leave with paid since last fall when he allegedly beat a restrained teen in the hospital, but had sent in his resignation.
According to City Attorney Travis Broussard, the purpose of the pre-disciplinary hearing was to provide Andrepont an opportunity to share his side of what happened.
However, Andrepont was not present at Monday's hearing, and neither was his attorney or any representative.
Capt. Craig Thomas with the Opelousas Police Department's Internal Affairs told the council that Andrepont was not cooperative with their investigation, which determined that Andrepont committed a Class 1 Offense that is equivalent to a felony.
The council then voted to go into executive session to review evidence from the internal investigation, which included security footage from the hospital that showed the incident where Andrepont allegedly beat Jonah Coleman, 18, while in a room at Opelousas General Hospital in October 2019.
After about 30 minutes, the council voted to return to regular session where Opelousas Police Chief Martin McLendon then told the council that his recommendation was to terminate Andrepont rather than allow him to resign.
The council voted unanimously voted to accept McLendon's recommendation to terminate Andrepont.
Andrepont now has 15 days to appeal the decision to the Civil Service Board.
After the council adjourned, McLendon told KATC that he was satisfied with the decision.
Last week, the council rejected Andrepont's resignation.
Earlier this month, Andrepont was named in a bill of information charging him with five counts of malfeasance in connection with the alleged battery of an 18-year-old who was hospitalized. The charges accuse Andrepont of beating the teen on the head/face, neck/throat, right arm and right leg. Read more here.
Andrepont had been on administrative leave since last fall, when McLendon learned of the incident and turned it over to Louisiana State Police.
Andrepont submitted his resignation at the end of June.
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