A Wayne County sheriff's deputy found herself on the wrong side of the law after allegedly hurling racial slurs and a pillow at a shopper in a local Marshalls, authorities said.
Deputy Tenia Fleming, 44, is facing charges of ethnic intimidation and assault for the incident which took place on December 15, 2023, in a store on Gratiot Avenue in Roseville, Michigan. The charges could result in a two-year felony and a 93-day misdemeanor, respectively, but, further shaking the legal proceedings, is the fact that the deputy's employment status was initially unknown to prosecutors.
The African-American deputy, who used her married name to avoid detection, was only unveiled as a law enforcement officer after being charged, according to ClickOnDetroit. The Macomb County Prosecutor's Office faced a delay in proceedings when they discovered the defendant's occupation late on Thursday, March 15.
"Ethnic intimidation has no place in our society, especially from those tasked with safeguarding our communities," Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido said in a statement obtained by Patch. The alleged incident took place a mere four months earlier, but is only now coming to light amidst internal investigations and court adjournments.
Fleming's defense counsel requested a postponement of the probable cause conference originally scheduled for March 13 to allow time for discovery, as reported by CBS Detroit. This legal anticipation is standard in criminal cases, facilitating the exchange of pertinent information between the defense and prosecution in advance of the trial.
Following the revelation of her law enforcement status, Fleming was suspended without pay while the Wayne County Sheriff's Department, through its Internal Affairs Department, pledged full cooperation with the prosecutors. The rescheduled probable cause conference is set for Wednesday, April 3.
