SHELBY TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Shelby Township Police Chief Robert Shelide was suspended. The decision was made on Tuesday night by the Shelby Township Board of Trustees in a vote of 5-2.
Shelide will go 30 days without pay and he will have to go to cultural and sensitivity training. He will be back on the job on July 17.
He has to undergo the additional law enforcement counseling within 60 days.
Two trustees voted for his removal and the rest voted for keeping him on, but suspending him. The meeting was ongoing as of 11:25 p.m.
READ: Shelby Township trustees to make decision on police chief accused of posting inflammatory tweets
Shelide was placed on paid administrative leave during an investigation into alleged comments he made on social media about the George Floyd protests across the country.
A meeting was held on Tuesday night where the Township Board decided if chief Shelide will keep his job or not. Because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the meeting was held via Zoom.
Shelide had a personal Twitter account where he posted inflammatory statements regarding the civil unrest around the country. The township supervisor said that the Tweets were unprofessional and could be considered racially insensitive and derogatory. Shelide has apologized for his actions.
Hundreds of people were on the Zoom call, easily more than half were from out of the township -- which was an issue for people who did live there.
Those who support Shelide view those tweets as directed at rioters and looters. Those who want him fired view the tweets as racist. The township board has brought him up in a variety of charges.
READ: Shelby Township police chief on paid leave over social media comments about George Floyd protests