x
Breaking News
More () »

Norfolk resolves grievance from police officer who was fired for donating to Rittenhouse defense fund

Former Lt. William Kelly donated money to the defense fund of Kyle Rittenhouse with his work email. A few months later, he was relieved of duty.

NORFOLK, Va. — The attorney for former Norfolk police lieutenant William Kelly says the issue of his client's employee grievance against the city is now resolved.

In April 2021, then-Norfolk Police Chief Larry Boone and the Norfolk city manager fired Kelly for violating policy after he used his work email to donate $25 to a defense fund for Kyle Rittenhouse.

But after a Wisconsin jury acquitted 18-year-old Rittenhouse of all charges connected to the shooting of three men during a protest, Kelly demanded his job back from the Norfolk Police Department.

Following the high-profile verdict in November 2021, Kelly's lawyer, Ray Hogge Jr., said the former Norfolk police officer felt being reinstated was the only way he could be vindicated. At the time, Hogge said his law office had filed an employee grievance against the police department and was prepared to file a federal lawsuit if the police department wouldn't reinstate Kelly.

In an email to 13News Now on Monday, Hogge said the "matter has been resolved to the mutual satisfaction of both parties," but he would not specify how that resolution had been reached.

13News Now reached out to Norfolk City Manager Chip Filer, as well as spokespeople for the City of Norfolk and Norfolk Police Department for clarification and comment. The city's reply was: "The matter has been resolved to the mutual satisfaction of both parties."

Before You Leave, Check This Out