The Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina has dismissed a detention officer after he reportedly shared a post on social media stating, “I Am Antifa.”
On Monday, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the termination of detention officer Brian Edwards, citing it stemmed from “related social media posts.”
Edwards allegedly posted on Bluesky last Friday, declaring, “I’m Antifa, and I will never adhere to the fascist regime.”
After the post came to light, Chief Tina Sykes of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office placed Edwards on administrative leave and initiated an investigation.
The investigation concluded that Edwards had violated several protocols, specifically the Standards of Conduct and the Speech, Expression, and Social Networking guidelines outlined in the Policy Manual.
Consequently, Edwards was removed from his position.
In remarks to Wral, Edwards expressed his dissatisfaction with how his case was managed. “I respect the sheriff’s office, but I disagree with how my situation was handled,” he stated. “I’m focused on moving forward and I won’t comment any more at this point.”
Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood emphasized the importance of maintaining community trust to effectively protect and serve, adding, “We must treat everyone with dignity and respect.”
Edwards had started his law enforcement career in 2022, following a role as a corrections officer at the state prison in Caswell County. The Sheriff’s Office noted that responsibilities in corrections were quite similar, but had more legal oversight in his current position.
“Prisoners in detention centers have more rights,” they commented, adding that many of them are still facing charges and have not yet been convicted. They also mentioned that Edwards appreciates the added complexities of his role.
Attempts to reach both Edwards and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office for further comments were made.
