Just a day after announcing the suspension of an officer for notifying immigration officials that a suspect driving without a driver’s license was also illegally residing in the country, the police chief of Fairfax County announced that he has reinstated the officer whom he had publicly lambasted the day before. The quick reversal follows national attention and a flood of complaints over the department’s suspension of the officer for attempting to uphold the country’s immigration laws.
On Tuesday, Fairfax County Police Chief Edward Roessler Jr. publicly upbraided one of his officers for contacting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) about a suspect pulled over for a routine traffic stop who ended up having not only no driver’s license but no legal status in the country. The officer’s actions were “unacceptable,” Roessler declared in a press release, and he had “damaged” the reputation of the department. After strong pushback, Roessler issued a statement just a day later with a very different tone.
“We have one of the best police forces in the U.S. and I have confidence that our officer will represent us well throughout his career,” said Roessler in a statement Wednesday announcing the officer’s reinstatement following a “procedural policy recommendation.”
The decision follows a flood of “offers of assistance and support for the officer,” as well as harsh criticism directed at Roessler for his handling of the incident, The Washington Times reports. – READ MORE