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By Oralandar Brand-Williams
The Detroit News
DETROIT — Six deputy Detroit police chiefs were demoted Thursday as newly appointed Chief James Barren continues administrative changes within the department.
Two deputy chiefs, Dan O’Neil and Shereece Fleming-Freeman, were demoted to commander. They will remain with the department. Four others have chosen to retire. They are: William Hudson of the Western District, Chester Logan of the Northeastern District, Leon Moore of the Central District and Joyce Motley of the Eastern District.
Thursday’s demotions follow the demotions and subsequent retirements of assistant chiefs, Ralph Godbee and Robert Dunlap on Wednesday.
“The chief has made it clear he is evaluating all aspects of the Detroit Police Department,” said Detroit Police Department spokesman James Tate. “There may be additional personnel changes as well as operational changes if necessary.”
Fleming-Freeman figured prominently in former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick’s text message scandal.
Text messages from 2002 and 2003, which were brought up the police officers’ whistle-blowers trial indicate Fleming-Freeman told then City of Detroit chief-of-staff Christine Beatty that fired deputy police chief Gary Brown should be terminated.
The text messages, sent and received on Beatty’s city-issued pager and published in March, showed former Cmdr. Shereece Fleming-Freeman told Beatty that Brown needed to be dismissed.
Kilpatrick fired Brown two days later.
Brown and two other former police officers filed a whistle-blower lawsuit that ultimately were settled for $8.4 million.
Copyright 2008 The Detroit News