This surprised me! Forwarded from: DAVID SANDS <dsand...@msn.com>
Please forward this message to your Jefferson County friends. There was a defining moment in the Oct. 6th forum for candidates for Jefferson County Sheriff. The question put to the candidates was: "What was your personal response to the death of George Floyd?" Deputy Tracy Vance responded: "I was appalled. That was murder and that officer acted with malice and was inappropriate." He went on to explain that if he were Sheriff, the officer would be held accountable and his Office would be fully transparent about what happened. Chief Deputy Bart Richmond responded: "I didn't jump to any conclusions. I didn't react like the rest of the country." He went on to say that Floyd might have had drugs in his system, which is blaming the victim for what happened and letting the police officer be the judge, jury and executioner. Well, the videos of the incident made the situation perfectly clear. It was another example of aggressive policing that resulted in the unnecessary death of a black man. We don't want that to happen here. It's clear that Bart represents the old school, good ol' boys authoritarian policing that has suppressed minority and poor communities since the founding of this country. Tracy, on the other hand, represents community-oriented policing. He's proposed establishing a Citizen’s Advisory Council to facilitate communication and transparency between the Sheriff's Office and concerned citizens in any situation. Yes, these remarks by the candidates clearly distinguish them. I'll vote for Tracy Vance for Sheriff. The Sheriff forum begins at 13 minutes into the recording. The question of the death of George Floyd begins at 49:48. https://www.facebook.com/FairfieldMediaCenter/videos/1697104933787135 <https://www.facebook.com/FairfieldMediaCenter/videos/1697104933787135> David Sands Please forward this message to your Jefferson County friends.