Norfolk fires police lieutenant who donated to accused vigilante Kyle Rittenhouse
The second in command of the Norfolk Police Department’s internal affairs unit has been fired after he made what the city manager called “egregious” comments praising Kyle Rittenhouse, the white man accused of shooting and killing protestors last year.
Those comments violated departmental policies and “erode the trust between the Norfolk Police Department and those they are sworn to serve,” City Manager Chip Filer said in a statement Tuesday afternoon.
An anonymous donor in September gave $25 to the legal defense of Kyle Rittenhouse, but the donation came from the official email address of Lt. William K. Kelly III, according to The Guardian newspaper.
Kelly became an executive officer in Norfolk police’s internal affairs unit two months ago, according to his LinkedIn page. He began working for the department in 2002, city employment records show.
Rittenhouse’s case has become a rallying cry for right-wing activists, and the donation from Kelly’s address carried the comment: “God bless. Thank you for your courage. Keep your head up. You’ve done nothing wrong.”
It continued: “Every rank and file police officer supports you. Don’t be discouraged by actions of the political class of law enforcement leadership.”
After the story broke, Police Chief Larry Boone said Kelly had been reassigned, although the chief did not identify him by name. Boone also said he’d launched “an administrative investigation” into the allegations against Kelly.
Kelly has not responded to a message sent to his work email on Friday.
