Turcotte Cleared, Mayor’s Decision on Appeal
Turcotte Cleared
Mayor’s Decision on Appeal
By Paula L. Ratliff, BSC, MS. Criminologist and JOBE Contributing writer
Note: Following publication of this story, Glasgow City Attorney Rich Alexander has responded stating that the lawsuit filed by the Estate of Jeremy Marr and others against the City of Glasgow is still currently pending in the United States District Court, Western District of Kentucky. “While this is a civil action seeking monetary damages from the City of Glasgow, the case has not been settled.” He further stated the City maintains no wrongdoing with respect to Marr and as so, disciplinary action against Turcotte was not warranted. The Progress apologizes for any confusion as the mistake was unintentional in mixing the Marr lawsuit with the lawsuit filed by a Barren County deputy who was awarded over $5 million in August 2022 after being shot by a Glasgow police officer. The Progress has sought further clarification on those details and will provide an update when a response is received.
Guy Turcotte, a former Glasgow police chief, lieutenant colonel, officer, and detective was found not guilty last week by a Monroe County jury where he faced a misdemeanor charge of harassment with physical contact, but no injury. He was accused of inappropriately touching a woman at her workplace. The alleged incident was reported to have occurred at Petsense in the grooming department.
On January 28, 2023, three employees of Petsense filed statements with GPD, but only one complaint alleged inappropriate touching as a misdemeanor charge according to documents obtained by the Barren County Progress.
The other two statements related to allegations that Turcotte entered an area of the store that was cordoned off as an “employee only” area in September or October 2021 and it is unknown why he entered this area or if the incident was reported to management or if there are any videos of the infraction.
On February 9, 2023, Barren County Family Court Judge Mica Pence issued an interpersonal protective order (IPO) against Turcotte and he was ordered to have no contact with the victim.
Following an investigation by GPD, he was charged on May 4, 2023.
On July 18, 2023, a disciplinary hearing was held with the GPD, city officials, attorneys, and Glasgow Mayor Henry Royse. On August 10, 2023, Royse issued a written statement that Turcotte had been fired from the department citing a violation of two policies: Ethics and Code of Conduct.
Royse’s 11-page written summary did not reference an investigation by the Kentucky State Police and it did not contain any statements from GPD’s investigation or any reference to an internal affairs investigation. It provided no evidence of services obtained at Petsense by Turcotte or how many times he had frequented the business or how long the three employees had worked there and interacted with him. There are no statements from other employees with which he may have had cordial dealings.
The two complainants stated that, among other allegations, Turcotte took pictures of the groomer’s backside while she was tending to “the dog.” (The groomer is the alleged victim). Royse’s report provided no evidence of photos or a forensic analysis of Turcotte’s phone and it is unknown if the two observers took any action or if they actually saw the pictures on his phone. “Could he have just taken a picture of the dog? Did the witnesses see the photos?” These questions are not answered.
His report provided no statements or evidence of comparisons of signatures or writings on receipts and no consultation with an expert handwriting analyst. Additionally, it provided no evidence of efforts to obtain store video recordings or any indications that the three employees had reported anything to management; similarly, it is unknown if any of the three employees are management level.
Yet, Royse concluded in his report, “It is my responsibility to determine whether there is substantial evidence to prove the charges against Officer Turcotte, and to determine what, if any disciplinary action shall be taken if substantial evidence does exist.”
And he did.
“It is my decision that the GPD’s recommendation that he be immediately terminated from service should stand and I adopt that recommended disciplinary action as my own.”
Matt Baker, attorney for Turcotte told BCP, “It is unfortunate that the mayor refused to postpone or continue his administrative hearing until the criminal process was over. So, now we are very fortunate that a Monroe County jury has decided to find that he was not guilty and the administrative process is in the Kentucky Court of Appeals. We’re hoping to get a good result there as well.”
Turcotte served as chief of police beginning March 28, 2011, under the administration of former Mayor Rhonda Trautman who at the end of her term in 2014 allowed him to resign as chief; and she appointed him to the position of Lieutenant Colonel of Support with no job duties. This administrative act ensured his continued employment upon the installment of Mayor-elect Dick Doty. He also served under Mayor M.D. Armstrong.
At the time he was hired by Mayor Trautman, Turcotte did not have an associate’s degree. He has since earned an associate’s degree in March 2017 and completed a bachelor’s degree in February 2021.
He remained in the Lieutenant Colonel position with rank and salary until October 7, 2018, when he was reassigned to the position of patrol by Chief Guy Howie. He filed a lawsuit on October 10, 2018, alleging numerous constitutional violations which were unsubstantiated by the Court of Appeals on October 9, 2020. In November 2020, he was promoted to detective by former police chief Jennifer Arbogast.
In communication with the Barren County Progress, he admitted to having “a couple of unjustified written reprimands…and a one-day suspension from Chief Howie.” These documents were not incorporated into Royse’s findings and there is no indication of adherence to a progressive disciplinary process.
BCP reached out to Turcotte for a statement, to which he provided: “The false allegations made against me by Brittaney DeMars and Christine Vogel of Petsense in Glasgow were fabricated to slander and damage my reputation as an exceptional law enforcement officer, character, and well-being. It has placed my life on hold for the last twenty-one months. My demanded day in court was postponed four times dragging my cry for justice out for much longer than it ever should have been. I was confident the truth would be shown the light of day and these allegations would be determined unfounded. At no time in my career, on or off duty have I ever committed any harassment or sexual misconduct, nor been unethical. I live my life by a code of honor, principles, and ethics. I finally feel vindicated by the jury’s concluding and just judgment.
It should be noted that one complainant, Bethany Hendrix, testified in the administrative hearing for his termination and filed a complaint with GPD, but did not testify in court. At this time, the BCP does not have a copy of her sworn statement, but Royse stated in his written findings that he relied heavily on her testimony and she stated he was “weird” and “creepy.” Royse stated, “Without describing each and every comment or behavior contained in the hearing record, taken as a whole, they serve to bolster my overarching finding that Officer Turcotte’s conduct was highly inappropriate.”
BCP reached out to Mayor Royse requesting comments via e-mail on Saturday and a follow-up text on Monday; however, as of press time on Tuesday morning, no response has been received.
The city and the police department recently settled a $6M lawsuit over the death of Jeremy Marr in April 2020 in which Turcotte was a responding officer. It appears the department did not issue any disciplinary action against Turcotte for his involvement in Marr’s death.
Walk through this logic. A man died and his estate was awarded $6M. Yet, the officers were cleared of any wrongdoing. However, in Turcotte’s case, he was cleared of wrongdoing by a court of law, yet he was terminated by the department.
In September 2024, the city agreed to pay $75,000 from various insurance companies to former chief Jennifer Arbogast to settle a lawsuit alleging gender discrimination and constructive discharge. The city did not pursue discovery and both parties chose to settle out of court.
Turcotte filed a lawsuit in Barren Court after his termination in August 2023 and it was dismissed by Circuit Court Judge John T. Alexander. This decision has been appealed to the Court of Appeals, and if the appeal is successful, it will be remanded to Barren County for a new hearing.
If Turcotte prevails, an unlawful termination will be an expensive mistake for the city. Delaying the administrative hearing until the criminal trial was concluded would have been a better choice or perhaps a suspension without pay pending the outcome of the criminal charges.
Multiple lawsuits against the City of Glasgow will result in an increase in insurance premiums, ultimately costing the taxpayer and reducing the public’s confidence in effective and efficient government.
The question begging to be answered is, “Who is leading the city down this road?” Time will tell.
