Name: Shelby Twp. residents say police chief must go for tweets that glorify police brutality
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Shelby Twp. residents say police chief must go for tweets that glorify police brutality

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Detroit Free Press Dozens of Shelby Township residents made their voices clear Friday —&nbsp;they want Police Chief Robert Shelide removed over tweets&nbsp;that appeared to glorify police brutality."This is not how a higher-up in the police force should be acting," said a lifelong township resident during a township Board of Trustees work session via Zoom that included more than two hours and 30 minutes of public comment.The board then went into&nbsp;closed session, where Shelide was to present his side after three internal administrative charges were lodged against him&nbsp;for the tweets from a now-deleted account.According to the&nbsp;June 8 notice of charges from Supervisor Richard Stathakis, Shelide's actions violated oath of office, code of ethics, an employment agreement, use of force, social media policy and conduct unbecoming department personnel, among other things.The board is to discuss the matter&nbsp;at a full board meeting Tuesday.Shelide emailed a&nbsp;statement to the Free Press on June 4 after he was placed on paid administrative leave pending an internal investigation. It read:"While an apology is insufficient and an insult to the gravity of my comments, I humbly and respectfully ask for the courtesy of forgiveness to those I have offended, to my department and more importantly to those I am sworn to serve. My record speaks to the commitment and professionalism that I have exhibited for more than 30 years without incident, both of which were compromised by my emotion. During my administrative leave issued by the department, I will fully cooperate with the investigation, and seek the support and counsel necessary to ensure that my behavior and comments going forward more accurately reflect my character and person.”A few meeting attendees said Shelide admitted his guilt&nbsp;in the apology, but&nbsp;one person called the apology insufficient.Numerous Shelby Township residents —&nbsp;some who have lived in the metro Detroit suburb a short time, others who have lived there more than&nbsp;four decades —&nbsp;said Shelide needs to be removed.&nbsp;Some also were upset about the lack of response from the township board and felt Shelide should have already been fired.Several meeting attendees showed signs including "Shelide's gotta go;" "tolerating racism is racism," and "no more racist cops atrocious language precedes atrocious acts.""An apology just does not cover the fact, in his heart, this is how he feels. I'm angry and I'm ashamed for my township," said a woman who said she has lived in the township nearly 45 years.Another resident of 21 years, who is African American, said Shelide's&nbsp;comments are racially biased and unacceptable and added,&nbsp;"This man must go."More:About 10 people spoke in support of Shelide, including a township police detective who is a resident. He said&nbsp;Shelide brought progressive growth to the department, including up-to-date technology. He said he doesn't think Shelide supports police brutality and he has confidence in Shelide's integrity.One woman called in to say&nbsp;Shelide "is not a racist" and is respected.The Twitter account in question has been deleted but screenshots circulating online showed tweets that seem to promote police taking drastic action against those participating in the current anti-police brutality protests rocking the nation.More:"Trump threatening to deploy the military. I have a better idea: unleash the real cops and let them take care of these barbarians. I promise it will be over in 24 hours. Cops are crippled by politicians and the (what appears to be the word) media,” one tweet said.The Twitter account in question had the handle @sheepdawg711, which no longer exists.&nbsp;But Shelide later apologized for the posts.Shelide has been in law enforcement for 34 years, spending more than five of them as the police chief. He also worked with the Detroit and Southfield police departments.Contact Christina Hall: chall@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter: @challreporter.&nbsp;

Detroit Free Press Dozens of Shelby Township residents made their voices clear Friday —&nbsp;they want Police Chief Robert Shelide removed over tweets&nbsp;that appeared to glorify police brutality."This is not how a higher-up in the police force should be acting," said a lifelong township resident during a township Board of Trustees work session via Zoom that included more than two hours and 30 minutes of public comment.The board then went into&nbsp;closed session, where Shelide was to present his side after three internal administrative charges were lodged against him&nbsp;for the tweets...

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Christina Hall

The Detroit Free Press is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, US. The Sunday edition is titled the Sunday Free Press. It is sometimes referred to as the Freep (reflected in the paper's web address, www.freep.com). It primarily serves Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Livingston, Washtenaw, and Monroe counties.  The Free Press is also the largest city newspaper owned by Gannett, which also publishes USA Today. The Free Press has received ten Pulitzer Prizes and four Emmy Awards. Its motto is "On Guard for 189 Years".

Shelby Twp. residents say police chief must go for tweets that glorify police brutality

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