VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A Black Virginia Beach police officer successfully sued the city after alleging racial discrimination caused him to be demoted and retaliated against.

In a complaint filed last year, Michael Banks alleged department officials demoted him and retaliated against him after speaking out on behalf of a probationary police officer in 2021.

According to court documents, Banks served as an "informal mentor and anti-discrimination advocate" within the department. So, when an African American recruit claimed she was not getting the same training support as her white peers, Banks said he stepped in to help, reaching out to a training officer in an unofficial capacity about the allegations.

The lawsuit alleged that because of this, Banks was transferred out of internal affa

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