Black Detroit Police Officer Reassigned After 'Misguided' Facebook Post
DETROIT (WWJ/AP) - A black Detroit police supervisor has been reassigned and placed on restricted duty after posting controversial Facebook comments.
Police Chief James Craig didn't disclose details, but he called the remarks as "misguided" and the result of "bad judgment." Unconfirmed media report described the post as "racist and homophobic."
"Certainly troubling, an African American in the department decided to post some inappropriate comments, make some inappropriate comments," Craig told reporters Tuesday. "We've opened an investigation regarding that member of the department."
The supervisor's name wasn't released.
Craig initially announced the action Monday night, hours after talking to reporters about Facebook comments posted by a white detective, who called the Black Lives Matter movement "racists" and "terrorists" in a post that was trending on Facebook on Monday.
Nate Weekley, formerly a detective in the department's sex crimes unit, has been demoted while Detroit police conduct an internal investigation.
Unlike Weekley, Craig said the unnamed supervisor, who is a sergeant, cannot be immediately demoted under civil service rules.
Craig said he'll take "prompt action" if social media posts contradict the mission of the department, no matter the person's race.
"Maintaining the trust our officers have earned with our citizens and the community they serve is vital in our ability to reduce crime and make our neighborhoods safe," the chief said, in a statement.
"I will not allow comments such as these to go unaddressed. We have made tremendous progress in our city and will not allow a few misguided statements and bad judgement, even if they come from members of my own department, to undermine that progress."
In a separate case, Craig is he's seeking felony charges against four men who allegedly used Facebook as a platform to threaten to kill police officers. Craig said he's spoken with Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette who is now evaluating that case.
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