An off-duty Salisbury Police Officer turned himself in this morning following charges by the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office on one count of breaking and entering, one count of simple assault, one count of assault on a female, and one count of interfering with calling 911, stemming from an incident late Saturday, March 13. Officer Malik Byrd has been placed on administrative leave with pay from his duties pending further inquiry by the SPD Professional Standards Unit.
Officer Byrd has been employed with the SPD since 2018, and is assigned to Patrol Team Baker.
The Salisbury Police Department, made up of 80+ sworn and civilian employees, is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), and most recently was noted for its successful collaboration with the Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance National Public Safety Partnership in addressing crime. Officer Byrd’s recent arrest and a previous incident involving another officer are two isolated incidents which in no way reflects the character of the men and women of the Salisbury Police Department.
Each SPD Officer will receive Ethics retraining this year to include a refresher on the department’s mission, values and vision.
SPD is fully cooperating with the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office in their investigation of this incident. Any questions regarding the arrest or incident leading up to the arrest should be directed to the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office.
For more information about the Salisbury Police Department, visit www.salisburync.gov/Police.