SPD officer Alexander Tyler has been charged with Negligent Homicide after the shooting of Alonzo Bagley.

At a press conference yesterday (Thurs.) SPD Chief Wayne Smith was asked if Tyler had been the subject of any disciplinary charges. Chief Smith's response was vague, alluding to a possible minor issue.

Chief Smith also stated that his department had an early warning system to red flag actions of SPD officers that indicated that additional training and/or counseling may be needed. Smith stated that Tyler had not been identified by this system.

A public records request has revealed two matters concerning Tyler.

The first is an auto accident in an SPD vehicle with a privately owned vehicle (POV) on Aug. 6, 2022 at the intersection of Broadway Ave. and Cleveland Ave.

The accident report indicates that Tyler broadsided a POV as it turned in the intersection. The driver of that POV was cited to be the cause of the accident as being "inattentive." Tyler was not cited.

The driver and passengers of the POV were seriously injured.

The accident report does not indicate the speed that Tyler was driving at the time of the accident.

Reportedly he was driving at an uncalled for (not an emergency or officer response call) speed that contributed to the accident. The story going that if he had been driving at the posted speed limit that he could have easily avoided the accident.

The public records request also yielded a Notice and a Record of Disciplinary Action against Tyler.

These documents show that Tyler was suspended 15 days WITHOUT pay on Nov. 22. Other than citing Municipal Fire and Police Civil Service Law La. Revised Statute 33:2500--Corrective Disciplinary Action for Maintaining Standards of Service.

These documents did not content any facts that resulting in the suspension.

Reportedly Tyler punched a lady in the back of the police care who had hands cuffed behind her.

Questions have been asked in the halls of the SPD headquarters why Tyler was still on the force.

Another question is why two very inexperienced white police officers were dispatched on a potentially explosive domestic violence call in a heavily populated black citizen area.

Many citizens including elected officials are intimating that his was a racially motivated incident.

I simply because Tyler is white and Bagley was black despite the fact that to date no evidence of racial overtones has been revealed.

However, no one is questioning the decisions of Chief Smith and Assistant Chief Antoine White that allowed Tyler to be on the force, and/or the reasonableness of who was dispatched on a Domestic Violence call to the 911 center.

It should be noted that both Smith and White are black.