After being fired in 2019 over sexual assault charges, Carl Holmes, a former senior Philadelphia police commander with almost 30 years of service, is set to be reinstated. The allegations involving the assault of three women at work were dismissed, with the final case dropped in January 2023. Philadelphia police confirm the reinstatement following an arbitrator’s decision in light of the cleared charges.
Following an arbitrator’s favorable ruling, Carl Holmes is poised to reclaim his previous rank of chief inspector, as stated by Sgt. Eric Gripp, the department’s spokesperson. Dismissed criminal cases surrounded Holmes, a veteran with almost 30 years on the force, and a lawyer, who was terminated in 2019 amid accusations of sexually assaulting three women at work.
The reinstatement decision resulted from due process, with the union president, Roosevelt Poplar, confirming the arbitrator’s ruling. The reinstatement process is ongoing, and the return date for Holmes remains uncertain, according to Gripp.
Holmes faced charges following a grand jury investigation, which found he misused his authority while mentoring female officers at the police academy and in other capacities. These charges emerged two years after the city resolved a sexual harassment lawsuit by a female detective against him, resulting in a $1.25 million settlement. Holmes, however, refuted the allegations.
