DPD suspends lieutenant after video shows confrontation with protester

DETROIT (WXYZ) — A Detroit Police Department lieutenant has been suspended following a heated argument at a protest over the weekend.

Chief James White said Wednesday, Lt. Brandon Cole is suspended. He had previously been temporarily reassigned pending an internal investigation in which White said he learned “additional facts.”

On Sunday, pro-Palestinian protesters gathered downtown as President Joe Biden was the keynote speaker at the Detroit NAACP branch’s Freedom Fund dinner at Huntington Place.

In a video of the interaction posted online, Cole told a pro-Palestinian protester, “Why don’t you just go back to Mexico?” The incident sparked backlash in the community.

Watch the video posted online below:

VIDEO: A clip was shared on social media showing a lieutenant urging protesters to “go back to Mexico”

During a press conference on Monday, Detroit police released bodycam video showing an extended portion of the interaction.

“We are an inclusive department. That’s not an issue, that’s who we are,” White said during the press conference.

According to police, the exchange was not racially motivated; rather, the lieutenant was referring to a vacation in Mexico that the demonstrator involved, Lexis Zeidan, had posted publicly about.

Watch the bodycam video below:

Bodycam video shows interaction between Detroit police lieutenant and protester

“The protester the lieutenant hired was recently on vacation in Mexico and the lieutenant was aware of this. “His comment was about her returning on leave,” said Michael McGinnis, a commander and head of the Internal Affairs Division.

According to police, the lieutenant was named by protesters who brought up his personal life. In a statement released Wednesday, White said the comments made to Cole did not come from Zeidan. Instead, White said the comments were made by another protester nearby. This person has not yet been identified.

Watch the press conference with DPD below:

Detroit police hold press conference after lieutenant tells pro-Palestinian protester to “go back to Mexico”

In the statement, White said his concerns “intensified” during the internal investigation, which is why he decided to suspend Cole.

White also plans to file a petition with the Board of Police Commissioners to request that Cole’s salary be withheld.

“Despite the hard work of the officers at the event, the recent protest was one of the larger ones we have dealt with in recent years and it has exposed deficiencies in the unit’s work,” White’s statements said. “As a result, the department will review the unit’s leadership practices and ensure that officers continue to adhere to this department’s policies and training. If necessary, appropriate changes will be made.”

On Monday, 7 News Detroit spoke to Zeidan about the interaction.

Check out our previous report where we spoke with Zeidan below:

Detroit police lieutenant temporarily reassigned over comments to protesters captured on video

“I mean, I immediately said, ‘I’m not even Mexican,'” Zeidan previously told us. “What you’re seeing is a lieutenant who’s supposed to be overseeing things and making sure things stay peaceful and calm just engaging in conversations with protesters that are clearly unprofessional and escalating a situation where we were peacefully protesting and actually following rules.”