Detroit residents express frustration over controversial officer back on the job

DETROIT (FOX 2) - During Thursday's Detroit Police Commissioners board meeting, several people expressed their frustration, via Zoom, about Police Lieutenant Brandon Cole being back on the job.

The backstory:

During a pro-Palestinian protest in May 2024, Cole was caught on video telling activist Lexis Zeidan, "Why don’t you just go back to Mexico?"

The video went viral.

Zeidan is not Mexican, but concerns arose when the lieutenant revealed he knew she had recently visited Mexico by looking at her social media.

What they're saying:

The Coalition for Police Transparency and Accountability claims the verbal confrontation highlights a fear of police surveillance that is unknown to the public.

Eventually, the Detroit Police Department suspended Lieutenant Cole.

He was reinstated in late November.

Chairman of the Board of Police Commissioners, Darryl Woods, stated that the lieutenant followed the legal process.

"We have been assured that he wouldn’t be in a position to be able to participate in some of the activities that he did before," Woods said. "I’m very, very comfortable that he would not have the opportunity to engage the community on a level he did before."

"What do you want to tell people to assure them that you have their best interests, and they can trust what the board does and what our police department does?" asked FOX 2's Brandon Hudson.

Woods responded, "We want citizens to know they always have a voice at our table—whether good, bad, or indifferent—to be able to speak up on these issues, and we ask that the community stay vigilant. And if they see any type of negative behavior happening, bring it to our attention and the chief’s attention."