A Virginia police officer who donated money to support Kyle Rittenhouse, the suspect in the murder, has been fired, authorities said Tuesday.
Lieutenant William Kelly, who worked in the Norfolk police station, was terminated after expressing support for Rittenhouse and making an anonymous donation of $ 25 to his defense fund. The officer’s message at the time read in part: “God bless. Thank you for your courage. Hold your head up. You did nothing wrong. ‘
Norfolk police said Kelly was initially placed on administrative leave last Friday while officials investigated the former officer’s actions.
‘Chief and Larry Boone came to the conclusion that lt. Kelly’s actions are in conflict with city and departmental policies, ‘said Chip Filer, Norfolk’s city manager, in a statement. “His serious comments undermine the trust between the Norfolk police station and those they are sworn to serve. The City of Norfolk has a standard of conduct for all employees, and we will hold staff accountable. ‘
Rittenhouse, who is accused of shooting two men during the protests against the police shooting at Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, has a cause celebrity among conservative activists who believe the teenager was on August 25 within his right to open fire out of self-defense.
In November, he was released from the Kenosha County Jail on a $ 2 million bond, mostly collected by conservatives. MyPillow Inc. founder Mike Lindell and former “Silver Spoons” children’s actor Ricky Schroder played key roles in trying to put us at the top with the bail money, said Lin Wood, the defense attorney for Rittenhouse, said at the time.
Other donors appear to include a Utah paramedic and an engineer from the famous Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory near San Francisco.
“A police department cannot do its job if the public loses trust with those whose duty it is to serve and protect them,” Norfolk Police Chief Larry Boone said in a statement that Kelly had been fired. “We do not want the perceptions of any individual officer to undermine the relationship between the Norfolk Police Station and the community.”
Police said Kelly could file a complaint and appeal the city’s ruling. He did not publicly comment on the donation or the termination.
