In a news conference Wednesday, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg announced that he is suspending Louisville Metro Police (LMPD) Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel pending the outcome of an independent investigation into her handling of a sexual harassment claim involving LMPD officers.

“When I took my oath of office to become Mayor of this great city, I made a commitment to serve the people of Louisville with honesty, transparency and by taking action,” Greenberg said. “I hold myself and all the leads of the agencies that report to me to the highest of standards, and that certainly includes LMPD. I take all sexual harassment allegations and the handling of the allegations very seriously, which is why I came to this decision.”

Deputy ChiefPaul Humphrey will take over as acting chief. He has served LMPD for 18 years, and serves as the leading officer working with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to bring reform to the department mandated by a consent decree, WHAS reports.

The mayor said Gwinn-Villaroel is not personally alleged to have violated sexual harassment policies; however, reports of her handling of the allegation led Greenberg to initiate an independent investigation into her actions. 

Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel officially took over as chief of Louisville Metro Police (LMPD) on Jan. 2, 2023, when Erika Shields resigned from the position.