A Virginia police officer was “relieved of duty” after his department learned of his donation to the defense fund of the accused Kenosha, Wisconsin shooter, Kyle Rittenhouse.
Norfolk, Virginia former Lt. William Kelly lost his job after the city manager, Chip Filer, accepted police chief Larry Boone’s recommendation to fire Kelly.
Kelly donated $25 to Rittenhouse’s defense fund and even added a message of encouragement, the New York Daily News reported.
“God bless. Thank you for your courage. Keep your head up. You’ve done nothing wrong,” Kelly reportedly wrote.
“Every rank and file police officer supports you. Don’t be discouraged by the actions of the political class of law enforcement leadership.”
Rittenhouse is accused of fatally shooting protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin during a demonstration over the police-involved shooting of Jacob Blake, Jr. in August 2020.
Kelly is just one of several law enforcement officers who put money towards Rittenhouse’s legal defense, named in a report last week by The Guardian. A data breach at a Christian crowdfunding site made the information available.
Filer said in a statement that Kelly’s actions “erode the trust between the Norfolk Police Department and those they are sworn to serve.”
“The City of Norfolk has a standard of behavior for all employees, and we hold staff accountable.”
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