BATON ROUGE - Baton Rouge Police Chief Murphy Paul expressed his frustrations with the Metro Council during a meeting that focused on investigations involving alleged officer misconduct and interrogations inside the "BRAVE Cave." 

After emotional comments from residents, East Baton Rouge Metro Council members said they knew about allegations concerning the warehouse and Street Crimes Unit months before the investigation became public. 

"After hearing all of these comments, who is going to tell the people — which one of us is going to tell them — who is going to stand up right now with me and tell them that this issue came before us months ago?" Councilmember Jennifer Racca asked.  

Racca stood up with her hands outstretched to fellow councilmembers, stating: "Anyone else going to stand with me? Because I know you were all in the room with me."

Councilwoman Chauna Banks remained seated while the other members stood. 

Racca said that there is nothing the Metro Council could do about the situation except cut funding to the police department.

"I am sorry to disappoint each and every one of you out there. The Council has no power to do anything over this. The only thing that we have the power to do is to not approve funding." 

After each of the Council members commented on what the public had to say, Paul came to the stand to speak his mind, starting with, "I'm sorry Mayor-President, but I'm going to speak my heart on this one."

Advisory: Chief Paul uses language some may find offensive in remarks in this video.

"Fourteen police officers were terminated," he began. "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight resigned under investigation. And then there's appeals. You know what you do? You strip my funding. Are you going to pay the attorney the money I already owe them for the bad cops?

"Y'all are sitting here trying to deal off these people's emotions and some of y'all are the problem, Jen Racca. You sit there — defund the police department budget from a legal standpoint, and then come here because I don't have legal representation and I have to play lawyer to fight these bad actors. Let's talk facts.

"Then you go an appoint people to the Civil Service Board that have direct ties to the (police) union. Five people on the Civil Service Board... You putting people on the Civil Service Board with direct ties to the union and then wonder why they reverse the decisions that I make.

"I've been quiet, but I'm not going to be quiet no more."