North Carolina detention officer dismissed for reportedly stating ‘I am Antifa’

North Carolina Detention Officer Terminated Over Social Media Post

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina has dismissed a detention officer after he allegedly posted “I Am Antifa” on social media. The officer, Brian Edwards, was fired following an investigation into his social media activities, which the Sheriff’s Office deemed inappropriate.

Edwards’s account reportedly posted, “I’m Antifa,” along with a photo from a recent trip. He added, “And I will never adhere to the fascist regime.” In response to these posts, Sheriff’s Chief Tina Sykes placed him on administrative leave while an investigation commenced.

The investigation revealed that Edwards had violated both the Standards of Conduct and guidelines related to Speech, Expression, and Social Networking as outlined in the Sheriff’s Office Policy Manual. Consequently, he was let go from his position.

Edwards expressed his disagreement with how the situation was handled, stating, “I respect the sheriff’s office, but I disagree with how my situation was handled. I’m focused on moving forward and I won’t comment further at this point.”

Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood emphasized the importance of public trust in carrying out their duties: “We must maintain the trust of our people in order to fulfill our mission to protect, serve and treat everyone with dignity and respect.”

Interestingly, Edwards has a background in law enforcement, having started his career in February 2022, and he had previously worked as a corrections officer in a state prison.