The Orange County Sheriff's Office recently announced the dismissal of Detention Officer Brian Edwards following an internal inquiry into his social media activity. As reported by CBS17, Edwards' posts, discovered online and deemed concerning by the department, led to his termination after confirming violations of conduct and social media policies.
The Sheriff's Office placed Edwards on administrative leave on Saturday, before formally firing him two days later. Although the specific contents of the social media posts were not disclosed by the department, WRAL notes that the investigation upheld breaches in Standards of Conduct and Speech, Expression, and Social Networking sections of their policy manual. "We must maintain the public trust as we go about our mission to protect, serve, and treat everyone with dignity and respect," Sheriff Charles Blackwood stated in the wake of the incident.
Further details emerged via a news release cited by the News & Observer, clarifying that the social media posts in question included anti-Trump sentiment and identified Edwards as a self-described 'antifa'. One of the posts on Edwards' Bluesky account still visible to the public reads, "I am Antifa. And I will never comply with a fascist regime." The term 'Antifa' associates with the broader anti-fascist movements both historical and contemporary.
Additionally, Edwards linked to a video of his own performance of a song titled "Old Man Trump." The song, "Inspired by the words of Woody Guthrie," calls out "injustice, intolerance, and the legacy of hate left by Donald Trump," Edwards said in the post that includes an image of a guitar labeled "This Machine Kills Fascists."
