A former Louisville Metro Police officer who recently resigned after a police report was filed against had been previously disciplined for misconduct, according to records obtained by The Courier Journal.
Officer Yolanda Baker served in an assistant role to former LMPD chiefs Yvette Gentry and Erika Shields and resigned following an unspecified incident that led to the report filing.
LMPD spokesperson John Bradley confirmed a police report was taken naming Baker but did not give a specific date, location or further details.
Baker has not been arrested and no charges have been filed against her.
Baker was a longtime officer at LMPD, having initially been employed in 2000 before she retired at an unspecified time. She was rehired in 2020, telling The New York Times she had returned to serve as Gentry’s administrative assistant.
The Courier Journal has asked LMPD to confirm whether Baker served in a similar assistant position under former Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel or current interim Chief Paul Humphrey but has not received a response.
Records show Baker was part of the chief’s staff this year but do not specify a role or title.
While having received numerous letters of commendation, Baker’s record also includes sustained charges of violating LMPD’s standard operating procedures.
Baker was issued a written reprimand by former Chief Robert White in 2005 for failing to provide identification when requested by a civilian. She was further disciplined for not having official credentials on her person while in Jefferson County. A civilian complaint filed against Baker prompted the internal investigation.
In 2013, Baker was sent a letter of reprimand by former Chief Steve Conrad for her “conduct at the scene of a suicide.” Conrad wrote in the letter that Baker was “unprofessional when talking to a family member of the deceased.” She was found to be in violation of LMPD’s standard of courtesy, currently defined in the department’s operating procedures as members being “courteous and civil to the public and to one another, exercising patience and diplomacy in the performance of their duties.”
On an unspecified date, Baker was also disciplined for a “chargeable accident,” which included a written reprimand and mandatory driver’s training. The Courier Journal has requested records related to the charge and subsequent reprimand.
Reach reporter Rachel Smith at [email protected] or @RachelSmithNews on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: LMPD officer Yolanda Baker previously disciplined for misconduct
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