Two officers from the Dearborn Heights Police Department have filed a lawsuit accusing a former sergeant of sexual misconduct. Officer Maxwell Beardon said he received lewd messages and was forced into oral sex at the precinct. Sgt. Hashim Zrien said he faced harassment and retaliation after rejecting similar demands. The lawsuit claims the former sergeant targeted several younger officers and used his position to pressure them into sexual acts. Attorney Jonathan Marko, who represents the officers, said, "We are talking about sick, sick stuff," according to FOX 2 Detroit. The allegations span from 2017 to 2023, with no internal action reported until after the sergeant left the department.
The lawsuit points to a systemic issue within the Dearborn Heights Police Department. Marko, in a statement to CickOnDetroit, "If Dearborn Heights police can't protect their own police officers, how are they supposed to protect you?" The attorney also criticized the department’s internal investigation, suggesting the case should have been referred to an external agency like the Michigan State Police. The Michigan State Police are now handling the investigation.
The Dearborn Heights Police Department, under Police Chief Ahmed Haidar, states that the incidents in question occurred before his leadership and is cooperating with the Michigan State Police investigation. The lawsuit describes mental health issues, including post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and humiliation, suffered by the officers involved, as mentioned by CBS News Detroit. The lawsuit includes claims related to workplace culture. One officer’s Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards credentials have been suspended following the sergeant’s actions.
