Resident alleges retaliation against officer in public comments; council urged not to discuss pending civil‑rights claim

A resident addressing the Dearborn Heights City Council on March 24 alleged that his wife, Corporal Emily Murdoch, was subjected to retaliatory discipline and investigatory actions after making internal complaints.

"I'm here to address ongoing retaliation by the city of Dearborn Heights and its police command staff against my wife, Corporal Emily Murdoch," resident Adam Crot told the council during the public‑comment period. He said Murdoch submitted a physician’s recommendation for medical leave in December, that her paycheck was subsequently stopped, and that she faced multiple internal investigations, a fitness‑for‑duty evaluation and a drug test shortly after returning to work. He described internal complaint filings and a contemporaneous complaint filed with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights.

Councilors and counsel cautioned about discussing personnel matters in public. Corporation Counsel advised the council and public not to comment or answer questions about the matter because a civil‑rights claim is pending with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights and the city has counsel handling the matter.

Crot returned to the podium later in the meeting and provided additional detail, saying portions of underlying investigative records were unavailable to the employee and later obtained through FOIA requests; he said some investigatory materials were produced after appeals and that an internal investigation had closed as "not substantiated." Those remain his assertions in the public record. Council did not take any formal action on the allegations at the March 24 meeting; the transcript shows the administration and counsel urging that the matter proceed through the existing investigative and legal processes.

What is known from the public record: the statements are allegations by a resident; several internal investigations were referenced by the speaker; a Michigan Department of Civil Rights filing was mentioned; city counsel advised against council or staff commenting publicly on the matter. The council did not vote on or direct a new investigation during the meeting.

Next steps and context: Personnel and pending civil‑rights matters are typically handled through internal processes, union grievance channels and, where claimed, state civil‑rights complaint procedures. The council noted that the city’s corporation counsel and the city’s external counsel are involved and that FOIA and investigatory materials may be provided under applicable rules.