Judge orders reinstatement of officer fired over case involving sheriff's son

BAKER - A judge has ordered a police officer who was fired for allegedly mishandling a 2017 call involving East Baton Rouge Sheriff Sid Gautreaux's son be reinstated by the Baker Police Department.

On Monday, District Judge Mike Caldwell reversed the termination of Adam Procell with backpay. The termination had previously been upheld by the Baker Municipal Fire and Police Civil last August.

The Advocate reports Procell's bill of rights as an officer was violated since the notice of his administrative hearing was not sent out within 60 days of the start of the investigation as required.

Procell was fired by the department after he was accused of trying to cover up details of a shots-fired call involving Benjamin Gautreaux. Gautreaux was allegedly firing a gun in his backyard when a stray bullet shot out a window in a nearby Walmart parking lot.

Documents say Gautreaux's wife is seen on video captured by Procell's body camera telling officers that Gautraux's son got a new gun and wanted to shoot it so they did so in the backyard of their home. The video also revealed that once Procell learned the identity of the shooters, he told them that "he was not going to say anything" and told Gautreaux that the charge for illegal discharge of a firearm was "BS," according to the arrest warrant.

Gautreaux and Procell were both arrested in April 2017 after word of the incident got out.

Procell, who now works at the Denham Springs Police Department, still plans on suing his former department. Denham Springs police posted a statement Monday praising Procell for his actions while on duty.