The online activity of a detention corporal with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office drew attention of high-profile, conservative social media pages and led to his firing on Monday morning.

A release from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said it terminated the employment of Brian Edwards after he was put on administrative leave on Saturday, when the sheriff’s office “learned of concerning social media posts allegedly made by Edwards” and opened an investigation. The date aligns with when a right-wing account that frequently shares public profiles of people who are critical of President Donald Trump, his administration and conservative policies highlighted Edwards’ profile and a string of his posts. Edwards has since made his social media profiles private, meaning Chapelboro could not independently verify the posts’ content.

According to Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood, his office’s investigation confirmed the posts violated both the Standards of Conduct and the Speech, Expression, and Social Networking sections of its policy manual.

“We must maintain the public trust as we go about our mission to protect, serve, and treat everyone with dignity and respect,” said Blackwood.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Edwards worked with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office for more than three years after previously working for the North Carolina Department of Public Safety in several roles. He was promoted from detention officer to detention corporal in May, with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page saying he “leads by example with his attention to detail and work ethic.”

Among the prohibited speech and expression portion of the sheriff’s office’s “Speech, Expression, and Social Networking” section, policies include avoiding speech or expression that “tends to compromise or damage the mission, function, reputation, or professionalism of the Office or its members,” such as statements that indicate disregard for the law or the state or U.S. Constitutions. Also among violations is speech or expression contrary to the canons of the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics and posts that could be seen as having a negative impact on the safety of sheriff’s office members.

 

Featured photo by the Chapel Hill Media Group.

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.

Related Stories
‹
Trayvon Martin, 10 Years Later: Teen’s Death Changes Nation
Written by DEEPTI HAJELA Trayvon Martin’s final night began with a convenience store run, a quick trip for candy and something to drink. It ended in a confrontation with a neighborhood watch volunteer, a shot fired, the 17-year-old dead on the street. It might have been expected to end there — the violent deaths of […]
A Price Tag on Trauma? College Town Weighs Black Reparations
Written by PHILIP MARCELO Professor Edwin Driver arrived in Amherst in 1948 as one of the first Black teachers hired at a flagship state university in the country. But the 23-year-old sociology instructor at what would become the University of Massachusetts Amherst says he was denied pay raises for decades, despite being one of its […]
AP Exclusive: ‘Strike for Black Lives’ to Highlight Racism
A national coalition of labor unions, along with racial and social justice organizations, will stage a mass walkout from work this month, as part of an ongoing reckoning on systemic racism and police brutality in the U.S. Dubbed the “Strike for Black Lives,” tens of thousands of fast food, ride-share, nursing home and airport workers in more […]
Orange County Sheriff's Office Brings Two Dozen Additional Charges Against Durham Man
Orange County authorities charged Durham's Keshaun Christopher Byrd over a November string of break-ins along Red Hill Lane and Seven Springs Road.
Orange County Sheriff's Office Details String of Break-Ins, Larceny Charges Against 2 Teenagers
The Orange County Sheriff's Office formally announced criminal charges against a pair of 18-year-olds for a string of break-ins in November.
Orange County Sheriff Primary Heats Up as Blackwood Seeks Fourth Term, LaBarre Joins Race
After an unopposed election for Orange County Sheriff in 2022, the 2026 Democratic primary will see a race for the position. 
'Who Are We Targeting?': Unpacking and Examining Impacts of ICE's N.C. Operations
The Orange County community felt the impact of federal immigration officers’ presence. Weeks later, people are still unpacking their emotions.
Soccer Fields and Open Space: Orange County Explores Potential Uses for Millhouse Road Site
Orange County is starting to make headway on a piece of land it has owned for two decades along Millhouse Road.
Orange County: CITEL Deal, Finishing Board Chair Duties and Filing Period
Chair of the Orange County Commissioners Jamezetta Bedford speaks with 97.9 The Hill’s Brighton McConnell on Wednesday, Nov. 26. Ahead of her rotating off as board chair, Bedford shares her plans to run for re-election in District 1, as well as shares the other candidates she knows so far. She also discusses what she can […]
Orange County Sheriff's Office Fires Detention Corporal Over Social Media Posts
The online activity of a detention corporal with the Orange County Sheriff's Office drew attention and led to his firing on Monday morning.
›