A Detroit police lieutenant who was suspended last year for making inappropriate remarks at a pro-Palestinian protest has quietly returned to duty, drawing condemnation from a police accountability coalition.
Lt. Brandon Cole — who was removed from active duty in May 2024 after telling a protester to “go back to Mexico” — was reinstated in November and assigned to the Firearms Inventory Unit, with 60 days back pay, DPD confirmed to Metro Times on Thursday.
The Coalition for Police Transparency and Accountability (CPTA) denounced his return, calling it a failure of accountability. His return to duty “is an affront to the principles of accountability and a clear indication that DPD leadership is unwilling to address systemic misconduct in its ranks,” the coalition said in a statement late Wednesday night.
“Brandon Cole’s reinstatement is not just a personnel decision — it is a declaration that officers who engage in unconstitutional, racial intimidation, and targeted surveillance of activists will face no real consequences,” the coalition continued.
Cole’s suspension last year followed an internal investigation into his conduct at the May 19, 2024, protest outside Detroit’s Huntington Place, where then-President Joe Biden was attending an event by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. In a widely circulated video, Cole was seen taunting activist Lexis Zeidan, saying, “Why don’t you just go back to Mexico?”
When Zeidan, who is Palestinian American, replied that she was not Mexican, Cole responded, “You were hanging out there and having a good time. Go back and hang out in Mexico where you were at.”
Investigators later determined Cole was referencing Zeidan’s recent vacation, raising concerns that he had been monitoring activists’ social media pages.
At the time, then-DPD Chief James White recommended the Detroit Board of Police Commissioners strip him of his pay.
A few months later, Cole sued the department, alleging wrongful suspension. In response, DPD defended its decision, saying, “The allegations are baseless, unfounded, and lack any semblance of merit.”
DPD added, “The decision to suspend Lieutenant Cole from duty was based on evidence that he had engaged in bias-based policing tactics and other misconduct during the recent NAACP event. Under no circumstances will such conduct be tolerated by any member of the Department, and this lawsuit will in no way deter the Department from administering appropriate discipline based on all of the facts.”
CPTA says Cole’s history of misconduct extends beyond last year’s incident, pointing to his role in the 2020 Detroit Will Breathe protests, where demonstrators accused him of overseeing mass arrests, excessive force, and intimidation tactics. As a result of a police brutality lawsuit, DPD paid the protesters more than $1 million in damages.
“By reinstating Brandon Cole, DPD leadership has reinforced a dangerous precedent: officers who harass and surveil activists, fail to prevent police violence, and engage in discriminatory behavior will evade accountability,” CPTA said. “Even more troubling, Brandon Cole has been reassigned to the Firearms Inventory Unit, where he retains operational responsibilities despite his documented record of misconduct. This is not a consequence — it is a reward.”
The group is calling on city leaders and police commissioners to intervene and remove Cole from the force.
