A North Carolina officer has been fired after allegedly declaring allegiance to the far-left extremist group on social media. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office announced Monday that Detention Officer Brian Edwards was terminated following an internal investigation into his online activity.
On Friday, an account linked to Edwards posted on Bluesky: “I am Antifa. And I will never comply with a fascist regime.” The post immediately raised alarms within the department. Chief Deputy Tina Sykes placed Edwards on administrative leave, and investigators quickly confirmed he violated multiple policies, including Standards of Conduct and Speech, Expression, and Social Networking rules.
As a result, Edwards — who began working with the sheriff’s office in 2022 after serving as a correctional officer in Caswell County — was fired. Sheriff Charles Blackwood defended the move, stressing the importance of public trust: “We must maintain the public trust as we go about our mission to protect, serve, and treat everyone with dignity and respect.”
Edwards, however, expressed frustration, telling WRAL, “I respect the sheriff’s office, but I disagree with how my situation was handled. I’m focused on moving forward and won’t be commenting further at this time.”
The firing highlights a growing concern: Antifa sympathizers embedded in law enforcement positions. Conservatives have long warned about the dangers of radical left-wing ideology undermining public safety. This case makes clear that law enforcement agencies cannot afford to ignore red flags — the safety of communities depends on rooting out extremist influences before they put lives at risk.
