A Florida sheriff didn’t mince words after he found out one of his deputies was caught on camera speeding his K-9 cruiser straight into a pond. On July 7, dashcam footage revealed by FOX 35 Orlando showed a patrol car going over 90 miles an hour and attempting to make a turn off a highway before driving over the curb and making a huge splash into the water. Sheriff Chitwood of Volusia County initially said the deputy was “driving like an idiot,” but after investigating the matter further, he has much more to say.
Deputy faces penalties after “a couple bonehead moves”
Chitwood was asked, in a follow-up interview with the local news outlet on July 8, whether the deputy in question had any reason for bolting down the highway or if there was something going on to explain the situation. It’s expected that a police car driving at high speeds would be responding to an emergency.
“The answer to both of those questions is nothing. Nothing,” the sheriff replied. “Just acting like an a**. And you caused $73,000 worth of damage acting like an a**. Well now, you’re going to see mine.”
Chitwood assures that the deputy responsible for the crash would not receive a mere warning or a slap of the wrist. The “pain compliance” will include the deputy being taking off special assignments, like the SWAT team and the K-9 unit, along with “other penalties” after the investigation is over.
The sheriff believes that the punishment matches the circumstances given what could have happened. He said, “You could have killed yourself, you could have killed your partner, you could have killed anyone that was out there on the roadway … It’s just stupid, there’s no reason for that.”
Chitwood says he has received emails from civilians in the past about deputies breaking the law or going over the speed limit. If he is given the police car number or the location and time of an incident, he is able to check the GPS data to look further into the matter.
The sheriff suggests that a new system could be put in place that monitors deputies per a “monthly or bimonthly report” that asks them why they were going past the speed limit at certain times.
“It’s unfortunate that we have to do this with professionals,” he admits, “but if you don’t act professional, then I’m going to have to make you act professional.”
In a Facebook post on the official page for the Volusia Sheriff’s Office, Chitwood responds further to the segment, “Not our best week. All the good work of the Volusia Sherriff’s Office wiped out by a couple bonehead moves. We’ve got to do better and we will.”
