Does a photo show that Scott Kretzschmar, accused in the Cornell University "gang rape" case, is now a police officer? No, that's not true: The image used to support the claim does not show Kretzschmar. Instead, it shows his brother, Max Kretzschmar, who the City of Sterling Heights confirmed has served as a Sterling Heights Police Department officer for over five years.
The claim appeared in a post (archived here) by the @landpalestine account on Sept. 27, 2026. It read:
Scott Kretzschmar one of the Cornell 7 gang rapists is now a cop, with a girlfriend, have a wild guess what his mum does for a job?
A cop with a history of violence against women? You don't say
This is what the post looked like on X at the time of writing:
(Image source: post by @landpalestine on X.)
The shoulder patch on the male police officer's right side (middle person) reads "Sterling Heights Police," which led Lead Stories to find a post (archived here) on the Sterling Heights, Michigan, Police Department (SHPD) Facebook account on Sept. 29, 2026. It read:
The City of Sterling Heights does not, and has never, employed an individual by the name of Scott Kretzschmar.
The city's police department did, however, employ an officer by the name of Max Kretzschmar. A post (archived here) on the SHPD's Facebook account on May 17, 2021, showed him (on the left). It read:
Chief Dwojakowski swore in our newest officers today! Officers Journeau, Kretzschmar & Krassa are excited to join the force and keep Sterling Heights the safest big city.
We are proud to have these young officers on our team and look for them patrolling in a subdivision near you!
This is what the post looked like on Facebook at the time of writing:
(Image source: post by Sterling Heights, Michigan, Police Department on Facebook.)
A June 10, 2021, article (archived here) in the Macomb Daily showed Max Kretzschmar (on right) in a photo with another SHPD officer. The two officers helped a man replace his stolen bike.
This is what the photo of Max Kretzschmar looked like in the article at the time of writing:
(Image source: Jan Sutton via the Macomb Daily.)
A Nov. 19, 2021, article (archived here) in the Times Herald shows Scott Kretzschmar (middle), along with his two brothers, Jack (left) and Max (right), chronicling the family's football legacy at Marine City, Michigan, High School.
This is what the photo of the three brothers looked like in the article at the time of writing:
(Image source: The Kretzschmar family via the Times Herald.)
The four images below show Max Kretzschmar as an SHPD officer, not Scott; Max is circled in yellow:
(Image sources: post by @landpalestine on X, post by Sterling Heights, Michigan, Police Department on Facebook, Jan Sutton via the Macomb Daily, and The Kretzschmar family via the Times Herald.)
In addition to the visual evidence, Lead Stories contacted the City of Sterling Heights to confirm whether Max Kretzschmar was employed by the SHPD. In a Sept. 30, 2026, email, the city's community relations director, Melanie Davis, provided the following statement:
Scott Kretzschmar's brother is employed by the Sterling Heights Police Department and has served as a police officer with the department for over 5 years. He has remained an officer in good standing throughout his service.
