ST. MARTINVILLE — A 3-2 vote to appoint a new chief of police by the St. Martinville City Council led to an uproar from the crowd Tuesday night and prompted one council member to leave council chambers abruptly before the meeting was adjourned. 

The City Council narrowly installed Ricky Martin as police chief. Martin said he has been in law enforcement for 20 years, including time spent in the St. Martin Parish Sheriff’s Office, in the Broussard Police Department and in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 

“I am here if anyone needs anything,” Martin said. “I want to be held accountable for all of my actions.” 

Before the vote on Martin, Councilwoman Debra Landry made a motion to nominate Karen Jones, which was seconded by Councilman Edmond Joseph. After that was defeated, Councilmen Mike Fuselier, Craig Prosper and Dennis Paul Williams voted to appoint Martin. 

Fuselier said he had divided his criteria for choosing a candidate into five categories: written exam, work experience, essays, interviews and references. 

“I did have a clear winner and I had a tie for second,” Fuselier said.

Had it been for a detective, Jones would have been his pick, he said, but soon after the announcement, shouts from the crowd drowned him out. Joseph stood up and left the room, which was packed. Almost immediately after the decision, much of it had emptied.

There was an obvious racial divide to the disagreement. Jones is black, as are Landry and Joseph, the council members who voted for her. Fuselier and Prosper, two white council members, voted with Williams, who is black. 

“I don’t think it went by resume or by experience,” Florita Chatman said after the decision.

“To me, what it went by was favoritism and politics,” Chatman said.

“Fuselier said if it was for investigations he’d pick Jones — but that’s all Martin has done is investigations,” said a man who declined to give his name.

“He’s been at 10 different departments in 20 years, versus she’s been at the sheriff’s office for 17 years,” he said. 

“I think it was a favor. I don’t think it was a race thing, I think it was a political favor,” Mourice Smith said. “If it was about the qualifications, Ms. Jones was more qualified.”

But, he said, “We’ve got a new police chief and we’ve got to work with him. I’m ready to do that.” 

“There are some people that will always makes this about black and white,” Williams said. This is about wrong and right. They were all very good candidates. Based on the information provided to me, based on what I had, I made the right decision.”