A man charged with raping two 13-year-old girls is on track to become the top law enforcement officer in Elizabeth, Louisiana, a village of roughly 400 people in St. Landry County, after his only opponent withdrew from the race.
Chris Paul, 46, was already a candidate for Elizabeth police chief when he was arrested in early September and charged with second-degree rape of two 13-year-old girls, according to KPLC. The alleged crimes date back 20 years.
Paul’s sole opponent, Zach Lacaze, dropped out of the race on Sept. 23. Lacaze said he had to step aside to keep his full-time federal job at Fort Polk, a U.S. Army installation in Louisiana, rather than because of the charges against Paul.
“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 wrote on Facebook. “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.”
With the qualifying period closed, Paul cannot be removed from the ballot. Louisiana law bars only those convicted of a felony from holding public office, so the pending rape charges do not disqualify him from running for the village’s top police job.
Paul now stands unopposed in next month’s election and is positioned to take office on Jan. 1 while his criminal case remains pending.
The Youth Peace and Justice Foundation, founded after the 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas, has called on Paul to withdraw from the race until his case is resolved.
Local lawmakers say they will consider changing the process so that future police chiefs are appointed by aldermen instead of chosen by popular election.
