A Raleigh officer investigated after a post on his social media account called Juneteenth “a made-up holiday” was suspended in September before retiring earlier this month, according to recently released public documents.

Daniel Twiddy, a member of the Raleigh police department since 2009, was suspended on Sept. 4, according to the documents, which don’t explain why or for how long. The 38-year-old senior officer retired on Dec. 1, the documents say.

North Carolina law severely restricts what information can be shared about officers and other government employees. It’s unclear if the suspension, which was not announced to the public, was linked to a temporary post on Twiddy’s Instagram in June.

The officer was considered controversial by some before that. Families and civil rights activists have been critical of Twiddy since he shot and killed 24-year-old Akiel Denkins in Southeast Raleigh in 2016.

Twiddy contended that Denkins reached for his gun, and District Attorney Lorrin Freeman concluded that Twiddy was justified in shooting Denkins four times while arresting him for failure to appear in court on a felony drug charge.

Denkins’ family contended he was shot in the back and treated unfairly. Freeman said the physical evidence supported Twiddy’s description of events.

Akiel Denkins and his son, Kashmere.
Akiel Denkins and his son, Kashmere.

Instagram post sparks outrage

Twiddy’s June social media post was screenshot and shared on social media by several outraged people.

“Juneteenth is a made-up holiday,” read the caption on an Instagram photo of Twiddy drinking a beverage at a Hilton Head Island resort.

“Today is my birthday and it’s been that way for 38 years. You’re welcome for the day off.”

Juneteenth is, in fact, a celebration of the emancipation of freed slaves and has been recognized by North Carolina since 2007. In 2021, it became a federal holiday.

Raleigh police officials in July said they were investigating the post and had put Twiddy on administrative leave, The News & Observer reported. Chief Estella Patterson sent out a statement then saying she appreciated the people who reported the post.

“We expect our employees to hold themselves to the highest standard of excellence that reflects favorably upon the organization, both on and off duty,” the statement said.

When a News & Observer reporter this week asked police officials how long Twiddy was suspended, and the reason for two recent raises, Lt. Jason Borneo said he couldn’t answer and forwarded the questions to a city portal for public records requests.

The News & Observer also asked Raleigh police to forward a request for comments to Twiddy, but did not receive a response.

Emancipate NC, N.C. Black Alliance and Forward Justice in October held a press conference contending that Twiddy had been demoted and arguing more disciplinary action should be taken. They also demanded more transparency in the police department’s discipline process.

The employment records do not indicate that Twiddy was demoted. The records do say he received a raise on July 13 that boosted his annual salary to $77,088 and then another on Sept. 21 that increased it to $80,942.

Twiddy was named in a 2022 lawsuit between the city and three families involving a no-knock raid on the wrong house. Twiddy was eventually dropped as a defendant in the lawsuit, which the city settled with the families for $350,000 in June 2023.

Emancipate NC Executive Director Dawn Blagrove said she believes the people of Southeast Raleigh, with its substantial population of Black residents, are safer with Twiddy retired.

“However, the lack of transparency about the disciplinary steps taken for troubled officers will continue to breed distrust with the Black community,” Blagrove said.

Virginia Bridges covers criminal justice in the Triangle and across North Carolina for The News & Observer. Her work is produced with financial support from the nonprofit The Just Trust. The N&O maintains full editorial control of its journalism.