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Chesterfield School Resource Officer terminated after white supremacist investigation

Posted at 2:47 PM, Apr 18, 2019
and last updated 2019-04-18 17:28:02-04

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. -- The Chesterfield School resource officer under investigation for having alleged ties to white supremacist group Identity Evropa is no longer on the Chesterfield Police force, according to Chesterfield Police Chief Jeff Katz.

The officer, who Col. Katz identified as Daniel Morley, was put on leave last month when social media posts were shared that tied him to Identity Evropa.

"Policing in today's polarized society is challenging. Successful policing requires relationships rooted in trust," Col. Katz said following the announcement of Morley's termination. "While I will not get into specifics of this personnel matter, I want you to know that my decision to terminate Mr. Morley is predicated on the well-founded belief that his affiliation and online activities make it impossible for him to carry out his duties in a way that would contribute to the building of trust and the maintenance of legitimacy our police department shares with our supportive community."

Morley previously served as a school resource officer at L.C. Bird High School in Chesterfield.

"Our community deserves to know the men and women of their police department respect and revere them — whoever they may be," Col. Katz continued. "It is true that Mr. Morley has a First Amendment Right to free speech and association. However, the views espoused by and attributed to Mr. Morley violate county and departmental policy and our organizational values; his continued employment is antithetical to the expectations of our personnel and those we serve."

News of Morley's termination came one day after Virginia Capitol Police announced a "separation" with one of its officers over similar circumstances. Capitol Police refused to discuss specifics about the investigation citing "personnel matters."

"What I can say is that this review was conducted with the dual aims of being not only fair but thorough," Capitol Police Chief Col. Anthony S. Pike said. "We have worked hard to become a fully accredited law enforcement agency, and we are committed to upholding the principles of fairness and professionalism."

This is a developing story.

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