Former Sunset Police Chief Pleads Guilty to Federal Civil Rights Charge
Luis "Louie" Padilla admitted to depriving a person of civil rights under color of law while serving as police chief in Sunset, Louisiana, according to KATC.
3 reports on this incident · first at Aug 11, 2026, 10:22 p.m. ET
Earlier reports
Aug 11, 2026, 10:52 p.m. ET
Former Sunset Police Chief Pleads Guilty to Civil Rights Violation
Luis "Louie" Padilla, the former chief of police in Sunset, Louisiana, has pleaded guilty to depriving a person of civil rights under color of law, KATC reports.
The single charge stems from an incident in Sunset while Padilla was the town's chief of police, according to KATC's account of the prosecution's allegations. The case was brought by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Louisiana, KATC reported.
A guilty plea settles the question of guilt but not the punishment. KATC's report does not give a sentencing date or a sentence, and carries no comment from Padilla or a lawyer for him.
KATC also reports that Padilla has qualified to run for office again. Its report offers no further detail about that candidacy.
Aug 11, 2026, 10:22 p.m. ETFirst report
Former Sunset, Louisiana Police Chief Pleaded in Federal Civil Rights Case
A former chief of police in Sunset, Louisiana, has entered a plea in a federal civil rights case, according to reporting by KATC.
KATC reports that Luis "Louie" Padilla was charged with deprivation of civil rights under color of law. Prosecutors say the alleged conduct took place during an incident in Sunset while Padilla was the town's chief of police, the outlet reported. The case was brought by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Louisiana.
Several basic details of the case remain unconfirmed in the reporting available for this account: the date of the incident, the date Padilla entered his plea, the identity of the person named in the charge, and whether a sentence has been imposed. This report will be updated as those details are established.
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- Version 112 Aug 2026, 02:52current
First published.
- Version 112 Aug 2026, 02:22current
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- Version 112 Aug 2026, 02:57current
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