Adding fuel to a weeks-long controversy, Detroit's Office of Inspector General has now opened an investigation into Police Chief Todd Bettison over his personal intervention in a case involving Mayor Mary Sheffield's ex-boyfriend and an activist.
Deputy Inspector General Jennifer Bentley confirmed Wednesday, Sept. 16, that the office – which handles public corruption cases – is looking into Bettison's actions, but declined to comment further, citing the open investigation. That includes whether the office decided to step in following a complaint or if it had made the decision to intervene on its own. The news was first reported by Bridge Detroit.
The Office of Inspector General isn't the only agency to get involved amid growing scrutiny of Bettison's
direct role, even by former police chiefs.
Detroit police confirmed on Sept. 10 that they've handed off their investigations into activist Jahdante Smith and Sheffield's former partner and shelter operator, Marvin Walker, to an outside law enforcement agency.
The department wouldn't confirm which agency or why, but a source familiar with the matter told the Free Press that the FBI is now handling it, and an internal police timeline – since verified by the paper – indicated an FBI agent told police the bureau would take over the public-corruption angle and stop sharing case updates with Detroit police.
Police began to look into both Smith and Walker in July and August, and after Smith shared intimate photos online showing Walker and Sheffield together. While the two men were under investigation, Bettison asked them to take the photos down.
Bettison has said he spoke with Walker about the photos while investigating a human trafficking complaint on July 11 and with Smith on Aug. 5. Police later secured a warrant to seize Smith's phone, though they maintain that action stemmed from an unrelated complaint accusing Smith of threatening and harassing an acquaintance online. No charges have materialized in either case.
Andrea Sahouri covers criminal justice for the Detroit Free Press. Contact her at asahouri@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Inspector general looking into Detroit chief in social media case
