Willie Troy Coco, 22, was charged with battery on a public official for punching Mayor Jean Coco. According to the sheriff department's report, Jean Coco fell the floor after Troy Coco struck her. After the incident, the mayor called Grand Coteau's chief of police, who just happens to be her son, Jonty Coco. The police chief then called the sheriff's department. Mayor Coco then went to a local hospital and was given antibiotics. She said she was feeling alright Tuesday evening.
``I still have some swelling here,'' said Jean Coco, pointing to her eye. ``I am just shocked.''
It all began with a conversation about the fire rating. In late July, the city received a fire rating of 10, which is comparable to not having a fire department at all. According to the mayor, the rating was given because Grand Coteau firefighters lacked training time, and the town did not have records of maintenance or training from previous years.
The mayor called a meeting with Troy Coco at Grand Coteau City Hall Tuesday morning.
``I thought we had a good conversation,'' Jean Coco said.
Troy Coco said he thought differently. He said he had asked the mayor and the town's Board of Aldermen for equipment to train before the rating's surveyors came, but he was denied.
``They kept shooting me down, and the inspector came and saw we were lacking the hours and things. In so many words (the mayor) said it was my fault,'' Troy Coco said Tuesday after being released from jail on a $5,000 bond.
According to the mayor, Troy Coco's requests were too expensive for her to approve.
Tuesday's conversation intensified after the fire chief and the mayor began talking about issuing beepers to two city workers. The fire chief said the two workers in question did not answer to calls. Eventually both the mayor and fire chief began calling each other names.
Troy Coco said he became angry after the mayor said something about his mother. Jean Coco explained she made her comment only after Troy began shouting at her and calling her names.
According to Troy Coco, the mayor tried to dismiss him from his position as volunteer fire chief. He said he did not mean to strike the mayor, but he had just had enough.
``I have two aldermen and the mayor that are against me,'' he said. ``I told her she needed to check the town's laws. She can't fire me without the council's approval.''
Jean Coco did defend her former nephew when all was said and done.
``I know this is not all Troy's fault,'' she said.
She said she wrote a letter requesting permission to suspend the fire chief until a special meeting of the Grand Coteau Board of Aldermen could be called to deal with the issue.
Information from: The Advertiser
