A Louisiana man facing allegations that he raped two children could become police chief of a small town after the only other candidate withdrew from the election.
Chris Paul, 46, was seeking to lead the Elizabeth Police Department when he was arrested last month and charged with two counts of second-degree rape involving 13-year-old girls, according to KPLC.
His sole challenger subsequently left the race, meaning Paul is now the only candidate listed for next month’s election in the village, which has roughly 400 residents.
With the qualifying period over, election officials cannot remove Paul from the ballot or replace him. Louisiana law bars people convicted of felony offenses from holding public office, but pending criminal charges alone do not prevent him from running for the community’s top law-enforcement post.
Paul was arrested in early September over allegations dating back about two decades.
He had originally been scheduled to compete against Zach Lacaze in the November vote. Lacaze ended his campaign on Sept. 23, saying the position would have required him to leave his full-time federal job at Fort Polk, the US Army installation in Louisiana.
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“As much as I love being a police officer and as much as I wanted to be your Chief of Police, I have a responsibility to my family,” Lacaze said in a Facebook post.
“My full-time job is what provides for my wife and son, and I cannot take that away from them. So, as much as it hurts me, I have to step away from this election.
“Being a police officer is something I truly love. I wanted the Chief of Police position because I believed I could make a difference in the community where I grew up, where my family lives, and that I proudly call home.”
After Lacaze’s withdrawal, Paul was left running without an opponent.
Paul is expected to assume the role on Jan. 1 if he wins the uncontested election. The Youth Peace and Justice Foundation, created following the 2022 shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, has called on him to leave the race while the criminal case remains unresolved.
Meanwhile, local lawmakers are considering whether future Elizabeth police chiefs should be selected by the town’s aldermen instead of elected by voters.
