What was supposed to be a serious discussion about law enforcement accountability in the wake of tragedy quickly turned into a jaw-dropping civics lesson — and not in a good way.

At a North Carolina House Oversight Committee hearing prompted by the brutal killing of 19-year-old Ukrainian immigrant Iryna Zarutska in Charlotte, Republican state Rep. Allen Chesser confronted Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden, a Democrat long critical of cooperating with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

What happened next stunned the room. Chesser posed what most middle school students could answer without hesitation: “What branch of government do you operate under?”

McFadden’s reply? “Mecklenburg County.”

Chesser tried again. “What branch of government do you operate under, sheriff?”

This time the sheriff answered, “The Constitution of the United States.”

Chesser, clearly incredulous, responded, “That is what establishes the branches of government; I’m asking what branch you fall under.”

Undeterred, McFadden repeated, “Mecklenburg County.”

At that point, the hearing veered into what can only be described as a Civics 101 intervention.

“This is not where I was anticipating getting stuck,” Chesser remarked. “Um, are you aware of how many branches of government there are?”

The sheriff’s blunt reply: “No.”

After an awkward pause, Chesser tried to help him out. “For the sake of debate, let’s say there are three branches of government: legislative, executive, judicial. Of those three, which do you fall under?”

McFadden ventured, “I believe I fall under the last one … judicial.”

“You are incorrect, sir. You fall under the executive,” Chesser shot back.

The chief law enforcement officer of Mecklenburg County — the very official responsible for executing the law — appeared unsure that he serves under the executive branch of government.

But this wasn’t merely a pop quiz for sport. Chesser’s line of questioning cut to the heart of a larger issue: McFadden’s long-standing resistance to cooperating with ICE.

The Republican lawmaker pressed the sheriff on how he squares his constitutional duty as part of the executive branch with his past declaration: “We do not have a role in enforcement whatsoever, we do not have to follow the rules and the laws that are governed by our lawmakers in Raleigh.”

McFadden claimed that statement was being taken out of context and said it applied only to immigration enforcement. He did not elaborate further on what context might change the plain meaning of those words.

Still, he insisted his office is complying with current state requirements mandating cooperation with ICE.

“We follow the law, when the law is produced, we follow the law,” McFadden said.

If you can’t identify the branch of government you operate in, how can citizens trust you to faithfully execute the laws of the land?