Officers suspended over Border Patrol calls
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Bodycam video leaked of an incident in which a DPD officer called Border Patrol. Screenshot: Video Savage on YouTube
DPD Sgt. Denise Wallet and officer James Corsi were suspended in February for calling Customs and Border Protection for assistance during traffic stops, in apparent violation of DPD policy against coordinating with federal immigration officials.
State of play: The two incidents led to the potential deportation of two people, per the Free Press.
- Police Chief Todd Bettison initially moved to fire the two officers, but was ultimately satisfied with the Board of Police Commissioners' decision to suspend them without pay for 30 days, he said in a statement.
The incidents:
- Feb. 9: Sgt. Denise Wallet called Border Patrol when a person pulled over for a traffic stop couldn't be identified. Border Patrol investigated, found the person "was not a U.S. citizen," and took them, the Freep quoted Bettison as saying.
- Bodycam videos of this interaction were leaked to YouTube, and DPD confirmed their authenticity.
- Dec. 16, 2025: Officer James Corsi, one of the two officers suspended, was investigating someone on a felony warrant and "believing that the individual was not a U.S. citizen, decided to contact Border Patrol," per Bettison.
The other side: Wallet filed a lawsuit in federal court, challenging her suspension and arguing that she didn't violate policy, according to court documents.
- The lawsuit says Wallet contacted Border Patrol "solely for the purpose of identifying the individual who was in custody, not to enforce immigration law or to inquire into the subject's immigration status."
- DPD declined to comment on the suspensions and lawsuit.
What they're saying: "Sgt. Denise Wallet followed all policies and obeyed her lieutenant's direct order, yet she is being punished," Wallet's attorney, Solomon Radner of Radner Law Group, said in an emailed statement to Axios.
- "This lawsuit has nothing to do with politics and everything to do with due process."
Flashback: A third incident involving a 2025 traffic stop was outlined in a February memo from DPD to City Council.
- An officer requested Border Patrol assistance when a person "being investigated for disregarding a stop sign" had only had a Mexican Consular ID, and stated they were not a U.S. citizen.
- The person got a traffic ticket and was turned over to Border Patrol custody.
- Axios asked DPD if and how this incident differed from the ones that led to other officers' suspensions, but the department declined to comment.
Go deeper: How DPD and ICE interact