Louisville’s police chief suspended over her handling of sexual harassment claim involving officers

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Louisville’s police chief has been placed on leave over her handling of a sexual harassment allegation involving her officers, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said Wednesday.

In the surprise move, Greenberg announced Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel’s suspension less than a year after she became the first Black woman to lead the department in a full-time position.

Greenberg said the chief was not directly involved in the harassment incident.

“This concerns her handling of the allegation once it was reported to her,” Greenberg said at a news conference Wednesday evening. Greenberg did not elaborate on the nature of the allegation.

Louisville’s police department has had a revolving door at the top of its leadership since Breonna Taylor was shot to death by officers during a botched raid in 2020. Gwinn-Villaroel is the third full-time chief since Taylor’s death, and the department has also had three interim chiefs, including a stint by Gwinn-Villaroel.

She came to Louisville from the Atlanta Police Department in 2021 alongside former Chief Erika Shields, who hired her as a deputy chief. Gwinn-Villaroel was named the full-time chief in July 2023.

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