LSN

MARKSVILLE -- Mayor John Lemoine turned himself in Monday afternoon on charges stemming from an incident with what he considered an indolent police officer.

According to the Avoyelles Parish Sheriff’s office, a warrant was issued for Lemoine’s arrest at the request of the Marksville Police Department.

Lemoine faces charges of public intimidation, simple assault and malfeasance in office. Avoyelles deputies say the charges are being investigated by the Marksville City Police.

The arrest stems from a confrontation with a Marksville policeman who was being reprimanded by the mayor on February 1.

Policeman Lee Clay was parked in the old Walmart shopping center next to the mayor’s home. Lemoine observed the patrol car in the parking lot for an hour, said he could not get the policeman to leave and patrol. He said when elected, he promised voters he would get police to patrol.

Lemoine said while the policeman was in the parking lot, Lemoine at first tried to go through the chain of command to get Clay to go on patrol, but was not successful.

The mayor then went to the patrolman. After an apparently heated exchange, he t told the patrol officer to go to city hall and they would meet with Chief Walker to “get this straight”

Lemoine said this is the first time he had been arrested and he he was arrested for doing what he felt he was doing right.

Lemoine felt Clay was being pushed by certain elected officials to file the charges, but would not name the officials.

“We have fourteen- and fifteen-year-old kids able able to find drugs....but the Marksville Police Department cannot find the drugs.”

Lemoine claimed Clay had given the city problems before.