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Detroit officer sues over suspension after contacting border patrol
A police sergeant is suing over the Detroit police chief's decision to suspend her after she contacted border patrol during a traffic stop earlier in February. Chief Todd Bettison said it is not department policy to include immigration enforcement during police work.
(FOX 2) - A Detroit police sergeant is suing the city to keep her job after the department chief said he would seek to fire her for contacting immigration authorities during a traffic stop.
Denise Wallet was suspended with pay after she sought help from Border Patrol in early February when a motorist provided a fraudulent driver's license.
Wallet filed a lawsuit in federal court alleging her constitutional rights had been violated. She also filed a temporary restraining order to prevent chief Todd Bettison from firing her.
That original order was denied by a judge, according to her attorney, because it lacked an affidavit. A new one is expected to be filed.
The backstory:
Wallet responded to a traffic stop on Feb. 9 after an officer's request for a supervisor around 3:15 p.m.
The reason was because the driver could not be identified after providing a photo of a fraudulent electronic Michigan driver's license.
After attempts to identify the subject were unsuccessful, Wallet called U.S. Border Patrol "solely for the purpose of identifying the individual who was in custody, not to enforce immigration law or to inquire into the subject's immigration status."
Border patrol agents later arrived and took the driver into custody "for violation of immigration laws," according to the federal suit.
Bettison suspended the officer on Feb. 10.
The lawsuit alleges the chief did so because of misinformation he received from his subordinates.
Detroit police chief seeks to fire officers who called Border Patrol against department policy
The Detroit Board of Police Commissioners (BOPC) is expected to decide Thursday on the chief's request to suspend two officers without pay for contacting Border Patrol.
Dig deeper:
Wallet disputes the reason for the suspension, arguing her contacting Border Patrol, done because her lieutenant ordered her to do so, did not violate department policy.
"Plaintiff's contact with Border Patrol was for the purpose of identifying a suspect in custody, a legitimate purpose, and was at the direction of her lieutenant," the suit says.
It was not for the purpose of enforcing immigration law.
Zoom out:
Bettison intended to ask the Detroit Board of Police Commissioners during its meeting on Thursday to suspend both Wallet and another officer.
The Source: A federal complaint and interview with an attorney were cited for this story.