The Detroit Board of Police Commissioners on Thursday approved the suspension of two Detroit police officers accused of violating department policy by calling U.S. Border Patrol for help during two separate traffic stops.
The board voted 10-0 to approve Detroit police Chief Todd Bettison’s recommendation to place Sgt. Denise Wallet and Officer James Corsi on administrative leave for 30 days. The suspended officers will not receive pay during the suspensions but will continue to receive benefits.
The unanimous votes came after a nearly four-hour closed session during Thursday’s commission meeting. Members did not comment publicly on the suspensions or the circumstances that led to them.
However, during the portion of the meeting that was open to the public, several residents voiced support for the disciplinary measures.
“We know what it means to call ICE on someone right now. That’s why we have a PD policy that it’s not going to happen and violating that is a violation of every Detroiter’s civil rights,” Chris Gilmer-Hill said.
Other residents said the department needs to do more to ensure the policy is being followed and enforced.
“I want to urge this board and the police chief to continue a thorough investigation on this matter and to continue to monitor strictly the behavior of their officers,” Avery Bolt said.
Bettison has said he plans to ultimately fire Wallet and Corsi for breaking policies that aim to keep city officers neutral amid a nationwide immigration crackdown led by President Donald Trump.
Detroit has avoided declaring itself a “sanctuary city,” in part for fear of losing government funding. On Thursday, Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall told reporters that firing police officers for working with federal immigration agents could trigger a review of whether DPD’s policies conflict with House rules that prohibit earmarks for sanctuary cities.
Wallet, a 27-year Detroit police veteran, has filed a lawsuit in federal court, seeking to prevent Bettison from firing her and said she didn’t violate department policy.
According to her lawsuit, the suspensions stem from a traffic stop on Feb. 9, when an officer requested her help because the officer could not identify a motorist who had provided a fake driver’s license.
When Wallet was unable to identify the driver with a fingerprint scanner, her lieutenant told her to call Border Patrol, the lawsuit states. Border Patrol arrived and took the motorist, who was in the U.S. illegally, into custody, according to the lawsuit and police.
Corsi joined the department in 2015, according to a 2024 edition of Tuebor, a publication by the Detroit Police Officers Association. In 2023, he was named the District 3 Officer of the Year.
Bettison said that on Dec. 16, the officer contacted Border Patrol during a Dec. 16 traffic stop while investigating a person for a felony warrant. Agents arrived and detained the suspect, police said.
mreinhart@detroitnews.com
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This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Board approves suspensions for DPD officers accused of calling Border Patrol
Reporting by Max Reinhart, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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