Well, that was quick.
On Thursday, we used a generous heaping of the word "allegedly" to describe surfaced tweets linked to Shelby Township Police Chief Robert Shelide that glorified police brutality. The tweets were by @sheepdawg711, who we recognized as one of our Twitter trolls.
Looks like that was unnecessary. Shelide admitted the tweets were his in a statement sent to the media Thursday evening.
He writes:
"While an apology is insufficient and an insult to the gravity of my comments, I humbly and respectfully ask for the courtesy of forgiveness to those I have offended, to my department and more importantly to those I am sworn to serve. My record speaks to the commitment and professionalism that I have exhibited for more than 30 years without incident, both of which were compromised by my emotion. During my administrative leave issued by the department, I will fully cooperate with the investigation, and seek the support and counsel necessary to ensure that my behavior and comments going forward more accurately reflect my character and person."
Shelide was put on a leave of absence while officials investigate the matter. A group of activists are meeting at 2 p.m. on Friday at the Shelby Township Municipal Office (52700 Van Dyke Ave., Shelby Twp.) for a peaceful protest demanding Shelide resign.
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