There Can Be Only One ….. RC Sheriff’s Race 2022

Posted on November 2, 2022 by Deborah Keller

**OPINION**

11/02/22

Our Sheriff’s race has been quite a roller coaster ride this year. First we had candidate Tony Roberson (former Polk County deputy) throwing his hat in the ring two years ago as a Republican candidate, we also knew that Jason Wease (business owner) was going to run as a Democrat as he has declared he would run each time back in 2013.

The current Sheriff Chris Francis (age 48) who has been in office for twelve years was not ready to retire so he would be running again. Then Steve Theodoropoulis (former Florida HP and Fed Air Marshall) who ran in 2018 announced he would also be running as a Republican candidate.

The man to beat at that time was the incumbent Sheriff Chris Francis. Sheriff Francis had twelve years worth of record to try to defend and in the past few years a lot of questionable things have gone on in his department. This being said between deaths at the jail, officer actions and lawsuits Sheriff Francis decided to pull out of the race.

This action put quite a monkey wrench into the strategy and campaigns of the other two candidates who had been gearing up to run against Francis. Now they had to focus their campaign on who would be the better candidate for the job. As they were trying to change direction there was another development in the race.

NC DMV Officer Aaron Ellenburg put his name in the hat to run in the Republican primary. The other two candidates tried to tie Ellenburg with Francis even though he did not actually work for the Sheriff’s department.

This started the negative campaigning right out of the gate. So many negative things were said and posted on social media about each of the Republican candidates it was hard to keep tract of them. Jason Wease did as he has done in the past and totally stayed away from the negativity surrounding the other candidates.

The Federal government then tossed us a curve ball and moved the primary from February to May trying to make sure all state districts were represented as fair as possible.

Then, Lo and Behold, Republican candidate Tony Roberson decided that the Republican Party was not aligning with his personal beliefs and was being run by Word of Faith Fellowship. He pulled out of the Republican primary race and decided to run as an unaffiliated candidate. This required him to get enough signatures to be put on the final ballot, which he did. He is in fact still a registered Republican but is running independent of their party.

So….whew! (dizzy yet?) The primary was finally held in May with Aaron Ellenburg being chosen as the Republican Party’s candidate for Sheriff. This set up a ballot with Ellenburg (R), Wease (D), and Roberson (U).

As the race went on the negativity just got uglier. One huge point of contention was the fact that Roberson’s pick for Chief Deputy, should he win, was former disgraced Sheriff’s Deputy Jamie Dunn. As you may recall he was fired, charged, and convicted for excessive violence against a restrained person in the jail. (see video here)

It was implied on social media that Ellenburg had no real law enforcement experience and was a “pick” of current Sherriff Francis so nothing would really change. Wease who stayed away from all the negativity just continued to run his campaign for change in his own style.

Now to mention another twist in this race. Roberson had a woman arrested and charged with posting malicious statements on social media. She was pursued for eight months at great personal expense to only have the charges dropped on the day of her hearing.

Then several months later Roberson himself was sued for posting inaccurate things with malicious intent on social media about someone else. (head spinning now?) He stopped posting things after that but his Chief Deputy pick Dunn continued to post things going so far as to dig up old text messages between people from years ago and posting them.

Early voting started on Oct 20^th. It will end on Nov. 5^th with the final election being held on Tuesday Nov. 8^th. You can vote for the candidate of your choice regardless of party (if there is a choice in a race) or not vote for any of them if you choose. It is important to go vote even if you leave some races blank. It sends a message of dissatisfaction to that candidate for sure.

The point however is that the Sheriff’s race is a local election. Whoever wins still will have the taste of that negativity in their mouth after the campaign. Those feelings do not just magically go away the day after the vote comes in. Neighbors, friends, and families remember the hurtful things said and done by each other. These wounds will fester for a long time.

We all are neighbors and members of this community. No matter who wins we all must learn to get along and let the hurts of this election be behind us. I hope that the damage can be repaired and that all can support the winner. This county has serious issues in the Sheriff’s office and especially the jail. Issues that will take everyone’s input and help to try to correct. Hopefully all will support the winner of this race and allow them time to try to correct the problems they will face when they take office.

This is not an episode of Highlander. No one needs to lose their head. No matter how many run for an office there can be only ONE.

“Republic” of Rutherford????

Posted on October 21, 2022 by Deborah Keller

**Opinion**

10-21-22

I was looking a copy of our ballot today and it just made me sad. Where is everyone? Where are the Democrat candidates? Where are the Independent/Unaffiliated candidates? Why are there so many uncontested races in our county?

I know the demographics have shown that we are a Republican leaning county and have been for many years but does that equal to no one having a choice in the general elections?

Elections are supposed to be all about choice. All of our offices except the Sheriff and one school board member have been decided on by the Republican Party. Technically they were all voted in back in May of this past year.

That being said, why does it matter what party anyone represents in a local election? No duties of ANY local elected official have anything to do with making that type of policy. Why does it matter if they have a letter by their name on the ballot?

The judges used to be listed on the ballot without party by their name, as should be because are they not supposed to be an impartial groups of people who just look at the law in relation to court cases? Mike Hager in his short but memorable term in the Legislature pushed through to have the party recognized on the ballot. WHY????

All this does is cause discord among the voters. The party can support whom they will financially but saying that “your candidate” reflects only your values when he/she is running for a job to represent everyone’s values seems unnecessarily divisive. Again, NONE of these people make policy!

There will have to be a legislative act to take off the party affliction of local candidates for elected office but it should be. We as a nation, a state, and a county are dealing with so much division that having this, as an added way to divide is ridiculous.

We have two unaffiliated candidates running, Tony Roberson for Sheriff and Parker Tate for School Board District 2. As an Unaffiliated voter myself (got tired of the “my way or the highway” attitude of both parties years ago) I commend them. They decided to run for office without the support of a political party. This means they had to get signatures to even get on the ballot and figure out financing by themselves. This is no small feat folks especially going against the very powerful and well-funded Republican Party here.

I am not endorsing either candidate but I am saying they cared enough to put in the sweat equity to run for office. What has happened to everyone else in this county? Do they just not care enough to try to make a difference?

There should never be an uncontested office on a ballot in this county. It doesn’t matter if you think the current people in office are doing a good enough job. There still should be a choice for the voters. Sometimes it is not about winning but showing that you care enough to try.

Honestly I think the Democrats of this county should be ashamed that they found no one to run for office except Jason Wease and he actually is answering to a higher calling than them. People need to wake up and get involved in local government. These people directly affect your daily lives and decide how your tax dollars are garnered and spent.

Times are going to get rough. A recession is coming soon and we will have people suffering mightily. Our people, our neighbors, our families will need everything we can dig up to help them. Get involved in how this need will be met. I would say be on a committee but those are hand picked here also. Go to meetings, and sign up to speak. Stand up, speak out, and be heard!

There is nothing we can do about this election now but think about the future. At least give the people a choice!

County Police Force …….. Is Now The Time?

Posted on October 19, 2022 by Deborah Keller

**Opinion**

10-19-22

Early voting starts October 20^th. We have multiple uncontested candidates on the ballot but the Sheriff’s race is not one of those. There are three candidates running for this office. Aaron Ellenburg (R), Jason Weast (D), and Tony Roberson (U).

This has been a contentious race and doesn’t look to get any kinder in the next few weeks before the election. Many things have been said or implied about the candidates on social media. If you have any question ask the candidates directly. They will answer you. Your vote is yours to do with as you wish.

One concern that has been brought up in the past and is a concern now is the politicization of the Sheriff’s Office. Being a law enforcement officer is a very difficult and demanding profession and having to deal with the possibility of losing your job over your political leanings every four years is an unnecessary added stress to these trained officers.

Not to even mention how much we require our Sheriff to try to manage and handle. Our jail has been understaffed and incorrectly managed for years now. It has failed multiple inspections and many injuries, incidents, and even deaths have occurred there. It needs full time attention and an involved Sheriff in its operation. Just throwing more money at it will not solve the problems there. Being heavily involved in the safety of the courthouse is also demanding.

In years past we have seen the animal shelter and the 911 center moved from under the Sheriff’s umbrella. Would it be too far fetched to think that having a county police force would be more beneficial to the people of this county? No politics, no jail administration, no courthouse duties.

Other counties in the state have done this with very good results. It takes the politics out of policing and holds officers and staff accountable to county management. Officers will also have clear-cut direct representation and recourse with personnel issues. This would help assure the public that officers and administration would be held accountable for their actions and that the officers themselves would have proper steps to accomplish their training standards.

Doing this would allow the new Sheriff, whomever he is, to concentrate on the jail and the courthouse. The problems of the jail are more than enough for one man and his staff to get straightened out.

This would be an initial expensive outlay for the county but would pay for itself in time. The counties that have done this have been very happy with the results. It gives the Sheriff time to concentrate on the jail and courthouse, which are two very important things that desperately need his full attention.

It takes a legislative act to proceed with such an action but Rutherford County was grated that several years ago. All the commissioners really have to do is vote for it. It would not be an easy transition but one that would ultimately benefit not only the officers but the county as well. Guaranteeing to keep highly trained officers in their jobs with no fear of being removed every four years due to the political climate.

It is a way to build back trust in our community policing. The majority of these officers work very hard and deserve to be appreciated by the people they serve. They are here to protect and serve.

The time to act on this is now for the commissioners. With a new Sheriff coming in after twelve years if they are planning to transition now is the time to do it. If you feel that this is needed in this county please contact your commissioners and let them know. Call 828-287-6060 or email hazel.haynes@rutherfordcountync.gov with your concerns and she will get your message to them.

Let’s bring back “We the people” to our communities.

“Do Unto Others…” or “What Goes Around Comes Around”….RC Politics 2022 Commentary Updated 10-13-22

Posted on October 10, 2022 by Deborah Keller

**Opinion**

UPDATE: 10-13-22

I still have not heard back from Polk County Sheriff’s office concerning the training and certifications request but did receive an email from Isothermal Community College confirming that Tony Roberson DID complete and pass his BLET on 10-09-1996 there. I will update with the other information if it is made available.

10-10-22

Well it seems we have another twist in the Tony Roberson for Sheriff social media saga. (Glad I am never running for a political office again….)

To put this in perspective last Jan. a social media post was made on FB about Tony Roberson, RC Sheriff Candidate that made disparaging remarks about his past behavior. A FB post to Roberson’s wife’s account stated “for Mr. Roberson’s wife to ask her husband how faithful he had been because she knew he had messaged her while in Rutherfordton 2012-2013”. It went on to say that “others are saying he was drunk and all over them at Copper Penny, and he was not faithful or loyal and why would he give 2 shakes about the common folk. He was dirty and you just don’t see it.”

Candidate Roberson took great offense at these remarks made to his wife and had Leslie Lewis charged and arrested for cyberstalking. He said she was malicious, vile, and libelous in her remarks. A magistrate actually allowed the charges and D.A. Ted Bell’s office spent eight (8) months pursuing them.

Most of us that saw this play out on Facebook were shocked when they actually charged her, much less arrested her for this Facebook post. The general thought at the time was it must have really upset his wife for him to take it that far. It did make you wonder after the Copper Penny incident he was involved in. (see video here)

In that incident Roberson accused a fellow candidate of “setting him up” even though that candidate was out of town when the incident occurred. (See article here) It just got worse however for Ms. Lewis.

At age 39 she had never been arrested and now she had to obtain an attorney for these charges. She stated “I’ve done nothing wrong. This is my First Amendment right. If a man will have you arrested for speaking out against him what will he do in the office of Sheriff?”

This process of the lawsuit took eight months. There were continuances and a judge recused herself and then the out of town judge they got to come in actually worked at the Polk County DA’s office when Roberson was employed as a deputy there. Ms. Lewis spent thousands of dollars in legal fees and missed work because of this then with just minutes before the trial was to finally start the prosecutors abruptly dropped the case.

Politics gets ugly at times and this seems to be an example of that as well as total misuse of the office and legal system by DA Ted Bell whom Ms. Lewis said lied to her to get her to stop talking negatively about him. (Well, with his past behaviors…no surprise there)

Roberson said “they (the prosecution) were leery about the evidence they could present so he told them to drop it and that he had more important things on his plate.” Ms. Lewis is still talking about pursuing a civil action after the election against Roberson to recoup her losses on this suit.

Now that brings us to last week. I wrote an article about all three candidates running for Sheriff listing their qualifications and length of service. (see article) Candidate Roberson seemed to take offense at the article, which outlined his dates of service with Polk County. He was so upset that he decided to post a Facebook video about it. This is where the story takes another strange turn.

In the video he never mentions my name yet he goes on and on about attorney Andrew LaBreche being the author of this article about him. He then went on a tirade against RC Deputy Brandon Ellenburg for being an “informant”against his fellow officers. He claimed several times to have proof that LaBreche had written my article.

After seeing this I posted another article with all the documents that I had obtained from Polk County concerning his length of service. (see article here) I had asked Polk County Sheriff’s Office for a copy of his BLET certification dates and training/certification records but none have been produced as of yet. (Why they would want to withhold that information I don’t know.)

Mr. LaBreche took great offense at being erroneously signaled out as writing articles about Roberson as he had told him earlier that he did not want to be involved in his “politics” on this campaign. (Roberson implied plagiarism by me in that video but hey I just backed it up with another article containing the documents from Polk County)

When Mr. LaBreche sent a FB message to Roberson about this incident saying if it continued he would seek legal action against him. Roberson replied to him with “Go F*#k Yourself.” Then Roberson put up LaBreche’s private message to him on Facebook but omitted his reply.

Social Media was abuzz with this, with Roberson supporters saying he should sue LaBreche (no mention of for what??) and that LaBreche would never sue him. That was not to be the case however.

Candidate Roberson was served with the lawsuit from LaBreche on Thursday evening. I guess that was better than what happened to Ms. Lewis as at least he was not arrested and taken to jail as Robertson had done to her.

You can’t help but wonder about Karma in this situation. My grandmother always used to say to me “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” and my Mom would say, “What goes around comes around.” In this case it seems that Tony Roberson is coming full circle on both these counts. We will continue to cover this with updates as they happen.

RC Politics 2022 …..Not a dull moment in the house folks!

Clearing up Concerns….Tony Roberson’s Records

Posted on October 3, 2022 by Deborah Keller

10-03-22

On Oct 1^st I published an article about the three candidates for Sheriff in Rutherford County using data received from public records requests. In that article I stated for anyone who has questions to contact the candidate. It appears that some did.

The existence of the records of Mr. Robinson seem to be in doubt according to social media posts. That being said I am now releasing the records that were used for the article I wrote here. These records are from Polk County and I see no reason why they would falsify them. If you have concerns about this please contact Tommy Oakman, Human Resources Officer, Polk County NC at 828.894.3301 x 224 or email at toakman@polknc.org.

The information on the records were reported in the first article but I will break it down for you here.

Anthony “Tony” Roberson’s Employment Records with Polk County Sheriff’s Office:

May -96 to June-96 1 month (FT) Jailer

June-96 to Sept -97 15 months (FT) Deputy

Resigned

March -98 PT 8 months (PT) Temp

Nov. -98 – May -99 6 months (FT) Patrol Officer

Resigned

July -99 – Sept.-99 2 months (PT) Jailer

Sept.-99 – May -01 20 months (FT) Deputy then Deputy Sargent.

Resigned

Aug. -02 – Dec 07 5 yrs. 4 months (PT) Reserve Officer then Jailer Nov. ‘07

Dec. -07 – Nov. -08 11 months (FT) Deputy then Sgt. then went to Investigations, became Lt. then Capt. Of Patrol, then Chief Deputy, then Interim Sheriff when the Sheriff Abril resigned. (See article why Sheriff Abril resigned)

Termination by new Sheriff.

11 + 20 + 6 + 15 +1 = 53 months (4.41 years Full Time)

64 + 2 + 8 = 74 months (6.16 years Part Time/Reserve)

Total Service : 10. 57 years

If there are any more records available I would be more than happy to post them when authenticated.

To see Polk Count Records please click the following links:

Public Information Request 1996 – 1998 – Tony Roberson – 22Sep22

Public Information Request 1998 – 2002 – Tony Roberson – 22Sep22

Public Information Request 2007 – 2008 – Tony Roberson – 22Sep22

A New Sheriff In Town…..Voting 2022

Posted on October 1, 2022 by Deborah Keller

9/30/22

This November Rutherford County will have the opportunity to vote in a new Sheriff. Our current Sheriff Chris Francis after multiple incidences with the office decided not to run again. Sheriff Francis has been in office for twelve (12) years being elected in 2010 from a position as a School Resource Officer at age 36.

The three men who are running to replace him are Republican Aaron Ellenburg, Democrat Jason Wease, and Independent (Republican) Tony Roberson. Each man has his own unique reasons and qualifications for seeking this office.

We hear a lot about qualifications to run for Sheriff but according to the NC Constitution:

“Every qualified voter in North Carolina who is 21 years of age, except as in this Constitution disqualified, shall be eligible for election by the people to office. The following persons shall be disqualified for office: First, any person who shall deny the being of Almighty God. Second, with respect to any office that is filled by election by the people, any person who is not qualified to vote in an election for that office. Third, any person who has been adjudged guilty of treason or any other felony against this State or the United States, or any person who has been adjudged guilty of a felony in another state that also would be a felony if it had been committed in this State, or any person who has been adjudged guilty of corruption or malpractice in any office, or any person who has been removed by impeachment from any office, and who has not been restored to the rights of citizenship in the manner prescribed by law.”

Aaron Ellenburg, age 42 is currently working for NCDMV as an Enforcement Officer. He is based in Cleveland County now since filing to run for Sheriff required a transfer out of Rutherford County per department policy.

He worked for Forest City Police Department as a Patrol Officer from June -’00 -Jan. -’04. NC Certified Law Enforcement Instructor May -’07 – present. He worked with Rutherford County Sheriff Office from Jan. -’04 – Sept. -’05. He went to NCDMV in Oct. -’05 (current) working as a Vehicle, License, and Theft Investigator. Serving as Homeland Security Task Force Officer Mar. -’18 – current. Reserve Officer for Rutherfordton Police Dept. Nov. -’99 – Sept.-’02. Aaron was a graduate of RS Central High School in 1998 and received his BLET from Isothermal Community College in 1999.

“I think what stands out is I am willing to listen to the people, and work with them to make our county better. I don’t care if you are rich or poor I care about your life. It breaks my heart seeing our county the way it is. I want to improve community/police relations. I am running for Sheriff to make a positive change in our county and with your help we can do it.” –Aaron Ellenburg.

He has had twenty-two plus (22+) years working continuously in different areas of law enforcement. Aaron is married to his wife Nikki and they have six (6) children. Aaron has asked former Rutherfordton Police Chief and retired SBI Special Investigator Randy Greenway to be his Chief Deputy should he be elected.

Jason Wease, age 39 is currently the owner of Wease Enterprises in Mooresboro. He graduated from Chase High School. He has also been a lifetime resident of Rutherford County. Jason announced his run for Sheriff in 2013 after saying he was compelled to run by God. He has answered that calling faithfully.

“We have a huge drug problem in the county. If elected this would be my goal, to clean up this county. I feel that God has called me to serve as your next Sheriff. I am not a politician, but I am a man of God, and want to make Rutherford County the best place to live, work, and raise a family.” –Jason Wease .

He has no law enforcement background but is a successful businessman with management experience. He currently lives in Forest City with his wife Ashton and his 4 children. Jason has not shared whom his Chief Deputy would be should he win the office.

Tony Roberson, age 57 does not list any full time employment currently. He graduated from Chase High School and received training in law enforcement from Isothermal Community College.

Tony worked for Polk County Sheriff’s department the following dates. (per Polk County records). Full time as a Jailer May -’96-June -’96 then Deputy June -’96 until Sept. -’97 when he resigned, then part-time as March -’98 as a temp, then full time Patrol Officer Nov. -’98, then resigned full time May -’99. Then July -’99 as part time Jailer. Then Sept. -’99 went to full time Deputy. Then April -’00 became Deputy Sergeant, then May -’01 he resigned.

Became a Reserve Officer in August -’02. Then returned as part-time Jailer Nov. -’07, then goes full time as a Deputy Dec. -’07, Sergeant on Feb. -’08, joined Investigations, then May -’08 he become Lt. in Investigations , June -’08 Capt. of Patrol, July -’08 Chief Deputy, then Interim Sheriff on Nov. -’08, and involuntary termination by newly appointed Sheriff Nov. -’08.

This totals up to four and one-half (4-1/2) years full-time experience and six (6) years as a reserve office/part-time in law enforcement. There is no record of him being involved in active law enforcement for fourteen (14) years. He was running as a Republican but left his party after disagreement with their policies to run as an Independent/Unaffiliated Republican.

“Community policing is critical in attracting industry and greater economic opportunity to the county. I want to give companies greater incentive to establish business here, by providing a safer, more drug-free workforce. New business enterprises will not come to this county as long as it remains drug infested. I want to restore public trust in the Sheriff’s Department.”-Tony Roberson.

He currently lives in Rutherfordton with his wife Lisa. They both have children and been foster parents for over 16 years. Tony has asked formerly fired (see link for story/video) RC Sheriff’s Deputy Jamie Dunn to be his Chief Deputy should he be elected.

In this social media age of politics you may possibly see or hear many different things about each candidate. I suggest if you have questions or concerns to contact the candidates with them. Make your decisions based on facts not emotion.

Who do YOU think will do the better job of trying to straighten up the immense problems of the jail and the distorted perception of the Sheriff’s Office in this county? Who do YOU think can make a positive impact on the drug problems that plague our county?

This race is important to us all. Change must come and it will regardless of how you vote. Be a positive part of that change. Get involved and please go vote!

Early voting starts Oct. 20th and ends Nov. 5th. Early voters can vote in person at any authorized early voting site in the county. (County Annex on Main St. Rutherfordton and ICC) Vote in person is Nov. 8th. On Tuesday Nov. 8th you must vote in the precinct that you are registered in.

Former LEO Jamie Dunn Loses Appeal for Assault On A Restrained Prisoner

Posted on September 21, 2022 by Deborah Keller

9-21-22

Rutherfordton- What a day in the courthouse in Rutherfordton! This almost sounds like the set up for a Lifetime movie.

The Main Players:

Jamie Dunn, a former Sheriff’s deputy who was fired for assaulting a restrained prisoner in the jail, who now is associated with Independent Sheriff candidate Tony Robinson to be his Chief Deputy if elected.

Attorney Greg Newman was representing Jamie Dunn. Mr. Newman has been approved to work in Asheville and Buncombe County as a defense attorney for indigent clients.

He is the former disgraced district attorney that Superior Court Judge Robert C. Ervin issued his order against on April 27, 2021 permanently removing the top criminal prosecutor for Henderson, Polk and Transylvania counties from his elected office, finding Newman engaged in “willful misconduct in office” and “conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice which brings the office into disrepute,” under N.C. General Statute 7A-66. Only the 3^rd removal of a D.A. in NC history.

The judge hearing the case was Judge Gould who was asked to hear this case.

The ADA for this trial was Lacey Beam. She graduated from Charlotte School of Law and this is her first job as an attorney.

Assault victim Christian Eugene Hardin originally said in the first trial that on October 2020 several Sheriff’s deputies responded to a call involving domestic violence at his residence. From the time the officers arrived until he was placed in the jail, Hardin described two incidents where several deputies allegedly assaulted him.

First, during the arrest, Hardin claimed that several officers pulled him out of the police vehicle due to his behavior and physically assaulted him by, among other things, slamming his head on the ground, and engaging in an altercation that left his ribs broken and wrists in pain.

Second, after being restrained in the jail, Hardin stated, “this rage went through me. I started cussing at [Dunn], being very disrespectful.” Although Hardin claimed that he could not remember any specific comments directed toward Dunn, he stated that Dunn suddenly struck him once on the right side of the face. (See video of incident below)

Mr. Hardin now says he has no memory of the event and personally did not want to press charges against Mr. Dunn but since he was in custody when the assault happened Sheriff Chris Francis did it.

SBI Agent Matthew Davis who did not show up to testify at this trial but was instrumental in the first one. During Agent Davis’ testimony in the first trial, he explained that there was considerable delay before the District Attorney requested that the SBI investigate. As a result, Hardin was not interviewed until approximately ten (10) days after the incident.

Once Agent Davis began his investigation, he explained that he reviewed video footage for the entire incident, including what occurred during the arrest and in the jail. Dunn’s counsel asked whether Agent Davis had uncovered any additional misconduct in reviewing the video footage or otherwise. Agent Davis responded that he had discovered no additional wrongdoing. In fact, Agent Davis stated that he had not even interviewed the other officers that allegedly assaulted Hardin and broken his ribs.

When Dunn’s counsel asked why Davis had neither spoken with the other officers that Hardin claims assaulted him or looked at other possible incidents of misconduct, Davis testified that he was to look only at any potential wrongdoing “in the jail” and that he was specifically instructed “not to stray away from that.”

Now that you know the main players and have some background. This is how the trial went. This was a juried trial heard in Superior Court on September 20,2022 in Rutherford County.

It appeared to be a slam-dunk for the state since they had actual video of the incident. Officers stated on the stand that that Dunn had a history of control issues and had been disciplined in the past. (sticks and stone may break my bones but words will never hurt me….remember that one?)

Dunn said that he had just suffered the loss of his mother but felt he had to go in that day “for his guys.” He said the victim made multiple remarks towards him and finally got explicit about his daughter. He then said he snapped and hit him. Mr. Dunn talked about his service and that he was a good officer. He implied that there might have been other reasons that he was fired because of this incident as no other officers were charged for the other assaults. (Mr. Dunn was supporting Tony Roberson who at that time was going to be running against Sheriff Chris Francis before he withdrew from the race)

ADA Beam asked one question of Mr. Dunn after his testimony. That question was “Was the defendant restrained when you struck him?” Mr. Dunn answered yes and she said no further questions.

In closing arguments Mr. Newman started instructing the jury on the issue of intent stating that intent meant you had to have ill will with intention to hurt the other person. The judge interrupted him at this point and took him back to chambers as he was totally misrepresenting the law. The judge then returned from chambers and instructed the jury that Mr. Newman was WRONG in his explanation of the law.

ADA Beam said Mr. Dunn was in area he was not supposed to be in and it was his decision to exchange insults, touch him then hit him.

The jury deliberated a very short time and returned with a guilty verdict against Mr. Dunn.

So many questions about this case still are circling around and we may never know the complete truth but you have got to admit, it is quite the story.