DETROIT ~ Journalist Charlie LeDuff says he has obtained a recording of Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison asking an activist to remove social media photos showing Mayor Mary Sheffield with former boyfriend Marvin Walker, a man with a criminal record. The recording has prompted questions about the appropriateness of the chief’s intervention and the motivation behind it.
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Aug. 27, 2026 ~ Why did Detroit’s police chief ask an activist to remove social media photos of Mayor Mary Sheffield and her former boyfriend? Journalist Charlie LeDuff shares a recorded phone call he says is at the center of the controversy and explains why he’s continuing to investigate the motivations behind it.
(CONTINUED) Speaking Thursday on All Talk with Kevin Dietz, LeDuff said the central issue is not the relationship itself, but why Detroit’s police chief became involved in efforts to have the images removed. He argued the request raises questions about whether law enforcement should intervene in the circulation of information concerning a public official.
LeDuff played a portion of the recorded conversation during the interview. In the audio, Bettison can be heard referencing the social media posts before making a direct request that the photos be removed. “I would like for you to take those pictures down off your Facebook page,” Bettison said. “I would like for you to do that.”
Bettison has disputed suggestions that the request was intended to suppress information about the mayor. In an Aug. 26 statement, Bettison said: “I asked Mr. Smith to remove the photos because, as a man and a father, I found them to be inappropriate and believed they were intended to shame and humiliate a woman, something no woman deserves.”
Sheffield likewise denied any role in the chief’s outreach. In a statement, the mayor said she had “never used the power of my office to instigate any action or inaction involving Mr. Walker, including through the Detroit Police Department.”
The mayor also pushed back against allegations made by Walker, who has alleged that his relationship with Sheffield intersected with city business. The mayor has suggested that her former boyfriend “fabricating lies in an obvious attempt to protect himself from his own criminal and legal troubles.” Sheffield further disputed suggestions that Walker benefited from city business, stating, “No city funds were ever provided to Mr. Walker, nor has he ever received any city contract.”
LeDuff said he is continuing to examine documents, communications, and other evidence as he works to verify claims and determine whether any broader public-interest issues emerge from the matter.
