Overview
- Police Chief Todd Bettison acknowledged he called activist Jahdante Smith on Aug. 5 and asked him to take down Facebook photos of Mayor Mary Sheffield.
- A judge and a Wayne County assistant prosecutor approved a warrant on Aug. 12 limited to Smith’s phone data for July, and officers seized his phone during an Aug. 19 encounter near City Hall.
- Detroit Police say the criminal probe began before Bettison’s call and stemmed from an unrelated complaint alleging Smith threatened a woman, and no charges have been authorized.
- Smith says he was handcuffed in front of his seven-year-old son, that his phone was later returned with content missing, and that he is consulting lawyers and pursuing legal action.
- Mayor Sheffield denied any misuse of office and said the photos were circulated by a former partner, while reporting shows a request for a broader six-month warrant was declined by the prosecutor’s office, raising questions about warrant scope and oversight.