- Ex-Shelby County Deputy Louis Hamlet fired for sexual activity on duty
- Hamlet asked Tennessee POST Commission to delay vote on certification
- Allegations of forced sexual acts investigated and found false
A former Shelby County Sheriff’s Deputy appeared in Nashville on Thursday seeking to retain his law enforcement certification after being dismissed for engaging in sexual activity while on duty.
Louis Hamlet, who previously served as a bailiff at the Shelby County Civil and Chancery Courthouse on Adams Street, requested that the Tennessee Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission postpone a vote on his certification until his civil service hearing concludes.
During the hearing, one commissioner asked, “Did you engage in oral sex inside the courtroom?”
Hamlet replied, “I didn’t engage in oral sex; she engaged in oral sex. I received, yes.”
The commissioner then asked if any citizens were present, to which Hamlet responded, “I can’t say, my court was down.”
FOX13 Investigates obtained Hamlet’s disciplinary file from the original investigation. In it, he acknowledges sexual activity in a courtroom with a woman, which came to light after she reported him to the Sheriff’s Special Victims Unit and Bureau of Professional Standards.
Detective Durrell Taylor said, “The complaint alleges that Deputy Hamlet forced her to engage in sexual acts several times.”
The woman claimed that Hamlet threatened her with his firearm. However, investigators determined her allegations were false, and no charges were filed.
At the Nashville hearing, Hamlet maintained that the encounter was consensual.
“As you heard from the detective, the allegations of sexual misconduct did not occur,” he said. “And as he stated, I told the truth about what happened.”
Despite this, the Sheriff terminated Hamlet in August for violating departmental policies on personal conduct and prohibited activity while on duty. Hamlet has also filed multiple federal lawsuits and complaints against the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.
