DETROIT – A Detroit Police Department police lieutenant has been suspended after he told a protester to “Go back to Mexico.”
Detroit police Chief James White says new findings led him to suspend DPD Lieutenant Brandon Cole from duty.
The confrontation between protestor Lexi Zeidan and Cole occurred on Sunday (May 19) outside Huntington Place during a protest over President Joe Biden’s visit to Detroit for the annual NAACP dinner.
Police say Cole commented on a public Instagram post that Zeidan recently made while vacationing in Mexico.
Zeidan told Local 4 Monday that DPD is monitoring her social media.
DPD says there’s evidence the protest group has been posting personal information about officers.
Chief White also says Cole is suspended without pay.
“Despite the hard work of the officers at the event, the recent protest was one of the larger ones we have had to deal with over the past couple of years, which has revealed deficiencies in the operations of the unit. For this reason, the Department will be examining the unit’s leadership practices, ensuring that officers continue to adhere to this Department’s policies and training. If warranted, appropriate changes will be made.”
Detroit Police Chief James White