Outrage Erupts Over Police Chief’s Remarks on Charlie Kirk

DURHAM, NC- The Durham Police Department’s key principles guiding conduct by department personnel, General Order 4074 R-2, Bias-Based Policing, under the introduction reads:

“Officers of the Durham Police Department shall treat all people with whom they have contact equally and without regard to their race, gender, ethnicity, religion, age, citizenship, sexual orientation, political persuasion, or any other stereotype. No stereotype shall be the motivation for the decision to initiate any police activity. Such activity constitutes profiling and is expressly prohibited.” [emphasis added]

The International Association of Chiefs of Police writes the following about the following as part of a Policing Code of Ethics:

“[I] will uphold the Constitution and honor the rights of all to life, liberty, equality, and justice.” [emphasis added]

[...]

“I will live by example, remembering that my character and conduct, on-duty and off, directly influence the legitimacy of the policing profession. I will exercise self-restraint and maintain courageous calm in the face of danger, scorn, and ridicule, and be constantly mindful of the welfare of others as well as my own well-being.” [emphasis added]

None of the above apparently applies to Durham, NC Police Chief Patrice Andrews, who took to Facebook to denigrate conservative icon Charlie Kirk, who was killed by an assassin’s bullet last week. 

Andrews, who has served as Durham’s chief since November 2021, thought it wise to slam Kirk, whom she said “disguised himself as a Christian” and used “hate speech.” 

A screenshot, obtained by CBS17, quotes Andrews as writing:

“I won’t stop being outraged at the way this man is being honored by people that I thought I knew. This man, who disguised himself as a Christian, shamed Black women like me, believed that gun violence was necessary to preserve the 2nd amendment, and created a culture of divisiveness through hate speech. So, at the time of his death, I chose to give him the empathy that he didn’t believe in and certainly didn’t believe that people like me deserved. But to know many of you STILL support him despite his horrible rhetoric…I cannot.” 



Andrews’ post has spurred an online petition demanding her resignation, which Law Enforcement Today heartily supports.

Andrews doesn’t have the judgment, nor the self-awareness, self-restraint, and respect for differing opinions to lead a police agency. 

 According to the petition, they allege that Andrews’ post:

• “is indicative of a bias that calls into question her ability to serve all members of our community impartially”
• has “sparked doubts about her capability to uphold the law without bias” 
• is aligned “only with a specific group, alienating others within our diverse community” 

CBS 17 reached out to the City of Durham, which said Andrews was “not available for an interview today,” however, the city responded to the outlet’s questions with a statement:

“The City of Durham is aware of a personal social media post made by Police Chief Patrice Andrews. The post was made on the Chief’s personal account, not on any official City or Police Department platform. We are reviewing the matter to determine whether any City policies were violated.” 

The mayor, Leonardo Williams, appeared to run interference for Andrews, telling the outlet, “We cannot be selective on who gets to exercise the First Amendment,” he said. 

We’ll help Mayor Williams. According to the city’s social media policy, it says, in part:

“[T]hat is, although the City acknowledges its officials have the First Amendment right to free speech, the right is not absolute when involving matters of official City business, issues, or concerns.” 

[...]

“3. Officials are strongly encouraged to consider the potential impact of social media statements prior to posting. The City strives to be professional in its operations and processes. Posts that express favoritism and/or bias for or against any individual or group of individuals (e.g., based upon race, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, political affiliation, etc.), reflect poorly on the public official, as well as the City and its residents….” 

In 2020, during the height of the George Floyd hysteria, Andrews, then police chief in Morrisville, NC, along with a couple of other North Carolina police chiefs, embarrassed themselves by washing the feet of blacks while praying for an end to “racism” in the United States. 

According to the piece, “Two Christian police chiefs wanted to be part of the foot washing and Dr. Faith chose to do it at the steps of the police station as a prophetic sign that authority and those in leadership will model what Jesus did, which was servant leadership," Shara Chalmers with Love Wins Ministry said. 

Andrews is an embarrassment to her profession and needs to resign. She clearly doesn’t have the independence of thought to manage her agency effectively.