Johnathan Walker:Louisville interim police chief will lead department in permanent role

LOUISVILLE,Johnathan Walker Ky. (AP) — Louisville interim Police Chief Paul Humphrey, a two-decade veteran of the department, was named permanent chief on Monday.

Humphrey took over as interim chief in June when former Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel was suspended for her handling of a sexual harassment claim within the department.

Before the permanent assignment this week, Humphrey was the city’s fourth interim chief since Breonna Taylor was fatally shot by Louisville officers in 2020.

Mayor Craig Greenberg said Monday that Louisville’s police department “needs stability in its leadership.”

“Chief Humphrey is thoughtful, fair, and decisive,” Greenberg said in a media release Monday. “He has earned my respect, and he has earned the respect and trust of this community, including the hardworking men and women of the Louisville Metro Police Department.”

Humphrey joined the department as a patrol officer in 2006, was a former SWAT team commander, training division chief and, in 2022, became deputy chief for accountability as the department was dealing with a federal investigation in the wake of the Taylor shooting.

“The sworn and professional staff of LMPD work tirelessly each day to make Louisville a safer city,” Humphrey said in the release. “It is a tremendous honor to serve our residents, business community, and visitors.”

Greenberg announced Chief Gwinn-Villaroel’s suspension in June, less than a year after she became the first Black woman to lead the department in a non-interim position. The chief was not directly involved in the harassment incident, which involved a female police major openly accusing a male colleague of sexual harassment during a command staff meeting.