Once again underestimating the intelligence of "We, the People," Sheriff DAVID BERNARD SHOAR has a "puff piece" in today's St. Augustine Record. Bylined "Sheldon Gardner," SHOAR's latest PR puffery purports to portray a "band of brothers" among local law enforcement, with a front page headline and inside photo about how he and the police chiefs of St. Augustine and St. Augustine Beach all began work in St. Augustine, and all work together.
There's an inside photo of Sheriff SHOAR touching Chief Robert Hardwick of St. Augustine Beach, with St. Augustine Police Chief Loran Lueders smiling. The photo was taken on the steps of the St. Augustine Police Deparment building.
Footnote: The SAB Police building is named for and has a monument plaque inside dedicated to VIRGIL STEWART, the KKK Police Chief of St. Augustine, who accused Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1964-65 of being an "outside agitator" and a Communist.
Despite the forced smiles on three police faces, the facts are these:
1. SAPD Chief Loran Lueders and SABPD Chief Hardwick both say they would hae recused themselves from investigating a possible homicide involving one of their own officers, and would have recused themselves from investigating the shooting death of one of the girlfriend of one of their own officers. So would City Manager John Patrick Regan, P.E., who by Charter is the chief law enforcement officer in St. Augustine, and hires and fires the Chief of Police, et al.
2. Viewers of NBC Dateline overwhelmingly wrote in social media that they thought that the death of Michelle O'Connell was a homicide, despite Sherff DAVID BERNARD SHOAR's efforts to abuse his relationship with Dennis Murphy to "spin" his misfeasance, malfesance and nonfeasance.
3. Dateline was on Friday, today is Tuesday and there has been no reaction story in the St. Augustine Record.
So, when you see the photo this morning, laugh, slap your knee and ask, "Why are these men smiling?" No, I refuse o write any reference to "The Three Stooges." Not going to do it. Nope.
Sheriff SHOAR, it has been 1327 days since Michelle O'Connell was shot. How long do you reckon you can obstruct justice? How many careers are you willing to sacrifice? How many "friends" -- like Chief Lueders and Chief Hardwick -- are you willing to use as "human shields." Enough. There needs to be a federal grand jury.
In secret, behind locked gates, our Nation's Oldest City dumped a landfill in a lake (Old City Reservoir), while emitting sewage in our rivers and salt marsh. Organized citizens exposed and defeated pollution, racism and cronyism. We elected a new Mayor. We're transforming our City -- advanced citizenship. Ask questions. Make disclosures. Demand answers. Be involved. Expect democracy. Report and expose corruption. Smile! Help enact a St. Augustine National Park and Seashore. We shall overcome!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment