A Superior police captain has resigned after being accused of perjury.
Capt. Chad La Lor signed a voluntary separation agreement with the city of Superior and is no longer an officer with the department, Police Chief Charles LaGesse said.
The separation comes after La Lor was accused of providing untruthful testimony during a Police and Fire Commission hearing in November.
"Capt. La Lor was a dedicated and talented officer, investigator and administrator with the department," LaGesse said. "While the recent allegations were troublesome, they should in no way diminish the acknowledgment of Capt. La Lor's contributions to law enforcement in the city of Superior."
Among his accomplishments during his 18-year career with the Superior Police Department was leading the investigations that resulted in the arrest and prosecution of suspects in two cold case homicides.
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His career, however, was not flawless, and the former captain had been sanctioned by the department after being involved in a hit and run accident in March 2009. He was called upon to testify about that incident in November.
The November hearing was held to determine whether Superior police officer Kirk Babic should be terminated after theft allegations. During the hearing, La Lor was questioned about the hit-and-run accident.
La Lor testified that he had been drinking just before the accident and admitted he was drunk when he struck a vehicle owned by Murphy Oil.
During that testimony, attorney Rick Gondik questioned La Lor about incidents prior to the March 2009 accident when the captain had driven drunk. La Lor's response was there hadn't been any previous incidents in which he drove drunk.
"How many other times did you drive intoxicated prior to your accident in March of 2009?" Gondik, representing Babic, asked La Lor during the Nov. 4 testimony.
"I believe I already answered that; I don't believe I have," La Lor testified.
"So, it just happened to be your first time driving while intoxicated and you got in the accident -- first time in your life," Gondik said, challenging the captain's response.
"That's what happened to me, I guess," La Lor said during the hearing.
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"While I continue to deny the allegations that were leveled in January, it has become painfully obvious that the environment for me at the Department is untenable," La Lor said in an emailed statement to the Telegram this morning. "Life is far too short to spend as much time as we do at work in an atmosphere such as this. It is for this reason and personal reflection on my future on the department that I've elected to resign."
The perjury investigation is complete and is under review by the Bayfield County District Attorney's Office, LaGesse said. As it remains an open criminal file, the chief said, no further comment will be made at this time.
La Lor was placed on paid administrative leave in January pending the investigation.
