The Detroit Police Department has officially relinquished its active investigations into local activist Jahdante Smith and shelter operator Marvin Walker, transferring the sensitive inquiries to outside law enforcement. The procedural handoff follows mounting criticism surrounding Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison, whose personal communications with the men regarding private photographs of Mayor Mary Sheffield have drawn intense scrutiny from current and former law enforcement officials.
Department leadership confirmed the referral of the cases, signaling a deliberate step back from inquiries closely linked to the mayor's personal circle. Detroit Police Department spokeswoman Jasmin Barmore stated that all existing matters concerning Walker and Smith have been forwarded to external agencies. Barmore added that should any future complaints or investigative leads emerge involving either individual, the department intends to immediately pass those files along to outside authorities rather than handling them internally.
The transfer follows weeks of internal turbulence within the municipal department over potential conflicts of interest. According to individuals familiar with the proceedings and internal departmental records, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has taken control of the public corruption component of the inquiry. Internal documentation reveals that a federal agent notified Detroit police that the bureau would handle the matter independently and would cease providing ongoing updates to municipal investigators.
At the heart of the controversy is Chief Bettison's direct intervention in July and August, during which municipal detectives were actively probing both Walker and Smith. The police chief acknowledged personally reaching out to the two men after intimate photographs depicting Walker—a former romantic partner of Mayor Sheffield—and the mayor herself began circulating on social media platforms. Bettison sought to have the sensitive images removed and asked that their online dissemination be halted immediately.
Records indicate that Bettison initiated contact with Walker on July 11 to discuss the online appearance of the private images, followed by a conversation with Smith on August 5 regarding the same issue. The personal involvement of the city's top police official in an issue tied directly to the mayor's personal life raised concerns regarding the appropriate separation between municipal administration, political leadership, and law enforcement operations.
Tensions heightened further when Detroit police subsequently secured a judicial search warrant to seize Smith’s mobile phone. Department officials maintained that the device confiscation was wholly separate from the circulating photographs of Mayor Sheffield. Instead, investigators attributed the phone seizure to an independent criminal complaint involving allegations that Smith had threatened an acquaintance over the telephone and harassed her through online posts.
The intricate timeline of the internal investigation emerged publicly through a detailed seven-page departmental document first published by independent journalist Charlie LeDuff and verified through internal law enforcement sources. The document outlines a dual-track inquiry categorized under "complex crimes" and "cyber crimes." The timeline indicates that investigative teams conducted extensive inquiries into Walker while simultaneously pursuing potential cybercrimes connected to Smith, holding weekly briefing sessions directly with Chief Bettison.
The complex crimes dossier on Walker focused heavily on allegations of potential financial misconduct and fraud. Detectives reviewed allegations involving deed fraud and questionable vehicle-related transactions, alongside an evaluation of emergency facilities operated by Walker’s non-profit organization, Detroit Power. While investigators also reviewed municipal agreements in connection with Walker's operations, the internal documentation noted that no active city contracts tied directly to Walker were identified.
As the scope of the inquiries expanded, Detroit police engaged with various state and federal entities to determine jurisdictional responsibilities. Records show that departmental officials held an in-person meeting with a representative from the Michigan Attorney General’s Office on August 21 to review the status of the ongoing inquiries, though state prosecutors have not publicly addressed the nature of those discussions.
On August 26, municipal detectives presented a comprehensive, start-to-finish case briefing to the FBI Detroit Field Office. By August 31, the federal bureau formally absorbed the public corruption aspects of the case into its own jurisdiction. The documents leave open whether the municipal department requested federal intervention or if federal authorities intervened on their own initiative after reviewing the investigative findings.
Concurrently, Detroit police sought to transfer the cybercrimes case involving Smith to state authorities. On September 1, the department formally asked the Michigan State Police to assume responsibility for the investigation into Smith. However, state police leadership declined the request, with MSP spokesperson Lt. Kim Vetter subsequently confirming that the state agency is not conducting any active criminal investigations concerning either Walker or Smith.
Federal officials have maintained standard operational confidentiality regarding their handling of the referral. FBI Detroit Field Office spokesperson Jordan Hall emphasized that federal protocol prevents the agency from confirming or denying the existence of active investigations, noting that while the bureau routinely evaluates materials received from municipal law enforcement partners, the intake of information does not automatically confirm formal investigative steps.
The public corruption elements referenced in internal records appear linked to prior assertions regarding municipal operations and mayoral associates. Previous reports cited claims by Walker—who possesses a prior criminal history involving fraud—alleging he had collected financial kickbacks on behalf of Sheffield during her earlier service on the Detroit City Council. Walker later retracted those claims during subsequent interviews, and Mayor Sheffield has emphatically denied any allegation of financial impropriety or kickbacks.
Throughout the unfolding developments, Smith has consistently maintained his innocence, asserting that he has engaged in no unlawful activity regarding the online postings or the separate harassment claims. Walker did not provide comment regarding the case transfer, the fraud inquiries, or the scrutiny surrounding his past shelter operations.
The decision to completely remove the Detroit Police Department from all cases surrounding Walker and Smith reflects an effort to insulate municipal policing from lingering conflict-of-interest allegations. By yielding investigative authority to federal and external law enforcement entities, the department attempts to navigate the intersection of political sensitivity, personal relationships, and administrative accountability.
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