A police officer in Port Barre, Louisiana, was arrested in May 2020 after a woman accused him of coercing sex from her during a traffic stop.
Officer Darwin Fontenot, 21, was booked on May 8 on charges of third degree rape and malfeasance in office, according to KATC. The station reported that Port Barre Police Chief Deon Boudreaux learned of the complaint on April 26 after a report from the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office. The complaint came from a woman from Chalmette who said Fontenot stopped her in March and offered to overlook a violation in exchange for sexual favors.
According to the arrest affidavit reported by KATC, Fontenot went to the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office on his own, gave a recorded statement without a lawyer and acknowledged having sex with the woman. Reports say his account matched hers on most points, but he described the encounter as consensual and said the stop was for speeding. The charges are allegations, and Fontenot has not been convicted of anything.
Bossip also reported on the case. Chief Boudreaux said Fontenot had since bonded out of jail and was placed on administrative leave pending termination. “It’s a sad day when we have to arrest one of our own, but wrong is wrong,” Boudreaux said.
Fontenot previously worked as a corrections officer for the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office and joined the Port Barre department about a year and a half earlier. He graduated from the police academy in November 2019. KATC also reported that he has criticized media coverage of the case on social media.
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