Mayor Sheffield says ‘calm down’ to reporter amid chief’s investigation
Mayor Sheffield tells reporter to ‘calm down’ amid chief’s investigation
Mayor Sheffield reiterated her confidence in Chief Bettison, and then told a reporter to "calm down" and said she had no further comment when asked a follow-up question about the photos at the center of the inspector general's investigation.
Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield provided a brief comment Tuesday on the investigation into Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison that involves photos of her on social media.
She reiterated her confidence in Chief Bettison, and then told a reporter to "calm down" and said she had no further comment when asked a follow-up question.
Mayor Mary Sheffield comments
What they're saying:
"This is currently under investigation by the Office of the Inspector General, and I think we all should let that process play out," she said. "So really no further comment on it. I remain confident in the chief’s ability to lead our city in every major category of crime. Violent and non-violent crime continues to go down, and I think that’s what Detroiters care about. And I think all of us, including the media, should allow that investigative process to play out."
When asked if she had a personal reaction to seeing the photos of her, she told the reporter to "calm down" and said she had no further comment.
Detroit police chief investigation
Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison responds to being under investigation
Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison is now the focus of an investigation by the city's office of inspector general after calls he made to citizens requesting they remove posts made on social media.
The backstory:
The Office of Inspector General is digging into recorded calls where Chief Bettison asked an activist to delete old photos recently posted on social media showing Sheffield with a former romantic partner.
Dig deeper:
The OIG confirmed the probe into the chief had to do with actions relating to the social media posts made by Jahdante Smith, a local activist who said his phone was confiscated after taking the call from Bettison. Smith says he received the photos from Marvin Walker, Sheffield's former romantic partner, and Smith said he had only posted the photos to call attention to other community concerns he wanted to address with the mayor.
Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison released this statement saying:
"I asked Mr. Smith to remove the photos because, as a man and a father, I found them to be inappropriate and believed they were intended to shame and humiliate a woman—something no woman deserves.
"The ongoing criminal investigation involving Mr. Smith is completely unrelated to this matter and began before my phone call with him on August 5, 2026.
"That investigation was initiated after a citizen filed a complaint with the Detroit Police Department alleging that Mr. Smith threatened her life. The evidence was presented to a judge, who issued a search warrant that ultimately led to the seizure of Mr. Smith’s phone.
"Any suggestion that I influenced or used the investigation for any other purpose is completely false because the facts and timeline speak for themselves."
The Source: Information in this story was used from comments made by Mayor Mary Sheffield on Sept. 22 at a ribbon-cutting ceremony obtained and shared with FOX 2 by WWJ News Radio 950. Background information was taken from previous FOX 2 reporting.