'Freedom of speech is for all': Durham leaders react to backlash on police chief's deleted Kirk post

Durham Police Chief Patrice Andrews is receiving scrutiny for social media comments she made about the late Charlie Kirk.

A 22-year-old man is accused of shooting and killing Kirk on Wednesday at a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University.

In a now-deleted Facebook post on her personal page, Andrews said she's outraged by people she knows who still support Kirk.

“I won't stop being outraged at the way this man is being honored by people that I thought I knew,” Andrews wrote in the deleted post. “This man, who disguised himself as a Christian, shamed Black women like me, believed that gun violence was necessary to preserve the 2nd amendment, and created a culture of divisiveness through hate speech."

One of Kirk's comments about Black women came on Jan. 3, 2024, on his podcast when he said, “If I'm dealing with somebody in customer service who's a moronic Black woman, I don't -- I wonder is she there because of her excellence, or is she there because affirmative action? It almost creates thought patterns that are not necessarily wholesome. It creates resentment, doesn't it? This is not a way to design society.”

Andrews wrote, "So, at the time of his death, I chose to give him the empathy that he didn't believe in and certainly didn't believe that people like me deserved. But to know many of you STILL support him despite his horrible rhetoric.. I cannot.”

Durham city leaders respond: "I stand behind our chief 100% right now"

WRAL News requested an interview with Andrews, but she declined. Andrews did meet on Monday with Durham City Manager Bo Ferguson.

During Monday's city council meeting, councilmember Nate Baker said he is honored to work in the city with the police chief, whom he said holds value consistent with the values of Durham.

He added that the country is in a time of division, pushed by "powerful who benefit from us all being divided...so that we can't find that we all have so much more in common."

"There’s so much more that unites us than divides us, and most of the same things are the things that we all want in our communities," Baker stated. "We want adequate housing, economic justice, [comfortability]...We want to feel safe in our communities, we want our children to be safe when they go to school, and yet, just last week, we were hit in the city, this country, again, with more violence."

In reference to Andrews' post, Baker continued to say that how someone dies does not undo the way they lived. 

"If their words fueled hate and their platforms spread division, we can tell the truth with compassion. But we should still tell it. Accountability doesn't cancel humanity, it honors it," Baker said. He said that he supports Andrews and looks forward to her continued hard work and engagement with their communities. 

Durham Mayor Leonardo Williams on Monday said of Andrews' deleted post, “This is, to some, a shut up and dribble moment.” 

He was echoing a comment by Fox News host Laura Ingraham who said in 2018 that NBA star LeBron James should "shut up and dribble," after the All-Star spoke out about politics.

Williams echoed this statement again during Monday's council meeting. He said that he believes no one deserves to die, but he is concerned where we are headed in this nation and in this world. 

"The first amendment, freedom of speech, is accessible to us all, whether we like each other or not," Williams said. "It is for all of us, if you’re walking on the soil in this country, you cannot be selectively outraged and try and determine who gets access to that or not."

We should be able to disagree without being disagreeable. We should be able to have mutually respectful discourse. We should be able to have respect for one another's voice and our ability to exercise our first amendment, our freedom of speech... The reality is symbolic of how divided we've become and how we can’t really talk about things. I hope we can find ourselves back to civility that is mutually respectful, that is what democracy is all about. Durham Mayor Leonardo Williams, during Monday's council meeting

Durham mayor on police chief’s Charlie Kirk post: ‘We’re reviewing the matter’

On Monday, Williams made a Facebook post in support of the freedom of speech and Andrews.

"Charlie Kirk lived his life and made choices for his own reasons," Williams wrote in part. "While I personally disagree with nearly everything he stood for, I do agree that everyone should be able to express their own views.

"I do not condone violence or the killing of anyone exercising their freedom of speech. That being said, challenging or disagreeing with someone's legacy does not, in fact, condone violence. IT is simply an exercise of freedom of speech."

Williams wrote that Durham leaders carry "broader implications as publicly serving officials."

"I support her [Williams'] freedom of speech in her personal capacity like I do those who have reached out and requested her resignation," Williams wrote.

Williams answered several of WRAL News’ questions about Andrews’ post.

“The city of Durham is aware of a personal social media post made by Police Chief Patrice Andrews, and the post was made on the chief's personal social media account and not any official city or police department platform we oversee,” Williams said. “We're reviewing the matter to determine whether any city policies were violated.”

WRAL News asked Williams if the city of Durham directed Andrews to take down the post. Williams said he wasn’t sure.

Also, WRAL News asked Williams if the city’s chief of police should make statements like she did on social media.

“That's the most interesting question right now, because we cannot be selective on who gets to exercise the First Amendment,” Williams said. “I have been in the hot seat myself several times, speaking of my own capacity.

“I will say that we as public servants, we do have to be aware of the impact of our verbiage, whether it's in our personal capacity or not.”

Williams said he spoke with Andrews and said it wasn’t her intent to create outrage.

WRAL News also asked Williams if Andrews should face any discipline.

“I’m very careful and select, being selective on who can exercise the First Amendment,” Williams said. “I think the same question should be posted to situations when Melissa Hortman and her husband were killed or … [if] I said something and it caused public outrage, should I face discipline?

“I say that people should face discipline when they’ve done something wrong. I think … I don’t think that the chief, I don’t think she did anything wrong. I think she did something that was very sensitive. She spoke out in a personal capacity at a time where politics are extremely charged.”

Williams wouldn’t answer if he agreed with Andrews’ statement in his interview with WRAL News.

What the Durham Police Department’s social media policy says

WRAL News obtained a copy of Durham Police Department’s social media policy.

“Employees should not assume that content on social media is private,” the policy states. “Members should monitor content on their social networking sites with the expectation that the information may at some point be viewed by City officials, supervisors, staff and co-workers, as well as members of the public, such as the media, defense counsel, criminal suspects and defendants. 

“Members should consider the possible adverse consequences that social media content may have on their professional activities, such as future employment opportunities, credibility as a witness, and public as well as private reputation.  Members are also cautioned to carefully consider the impact that social media content may have on their personal safety and the safety of co-workers.”

When using social media, members of the Durham Police Department are not allowed to disparage or criticize the city, the department, its members, officials and community with which it works and services. Displaying content that is sexually explicit, violent, discriminatory or derogatory toward people based on race, gender, national origin, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation is also not allowed.

Other NC leaders share their perspectives on Andrews’ deleted post on Charlie Kirk

State Rep. Brenden Jones, R-Columbus and Robeson counties, called Andrews’ post “disgusting.”

Former Durham County Sheriff Mike Andrews posted that he is “disappointed” in Andrews’ post and said, “Leadership does not lead publicly like this."