>> FROM THE LOCAL STATION NEWSFOURJAX. >> A CANDIDATE FOR
JACKSONVILLE SHERIFF SAID
HE’LL TAKE JUST ONE QUESTION,
ANSWERED IT. THEN WALKED AWAY
FROM OUR CAMERA. HOW THIS
APPROACH TO NEWS COVERAGE BY
TK WATERS IS NOW RAISING
EYEBROWS IN ABOUT A MONTH AND
A HALF. JACKSONVILLE VOTERS
WILL GO TO THE POLLS TO BEGIN
CHOOSING A NEW SHERIFF IN
SPECIAL ELECTION.
>> 5 CANDIDATES ARE RUNNING
FOR THEM HAVE BEEN VERY OPEN
TO QUESTIONS FROM REPORTERS.
BUT ONE WHO IS CONSIDERED A
FRONT RUNNER, REPUBLICAN TK
WATERS HAS NOT NEWS. 4 JAX
REPORTER JIM PIGGOTT IS
COVERING THIS RACE IS JOINING
US LIVE FROM OUTSIDE THE
SHERIFF’S OFFICE. JIM, THIS IS
VERY UNUSUAL.
>> THAT’S RIGHT. ON THE LEAST
ACCORDING TO THOSE WHO FOLLOW
CAMPAIGNS, YOU KNOW, THEY TELL
US NORMALLY CANDIDATES WANT TO
GET THEIR FACE OUT FRONT
WHENEVER THEY CAN AND
ELECTIONS LIKE THAT. BUT THAT
DOESN’T APPEAR TO BE THE CASE
WITH TK WATERS. YOU KNOW,
RECENTLY I’VE TALKED TO ALL OF
THE CANDIDATES FOR SHERIFF
ASKING THEM QUESTIONS ABOUT
THE CURRENT EVENTS, NOT WATER
SAY DID HE DID NOT RESPOND,
THOUGH, TODAY WE ACTUALLY HAD
A CHANCE TO CATCH UP WITH
THEM.
>> AT A TIME WHEN THERE’S BEEN
VIOLENT CRIME PERMEATING THE
NEWS WE’VE BEEN GETTING
REACTION FROM ALL THE SHERIFF
CANDIDATES ALL BUT ONE
REPUBLICAN TK WATERS. WE’VE
REACHED OUT TO HIM AND HIS
CAMPAIGN WITHOUT GETTING
ANSWERS TO OUR QUESTIONS.
UNTIL TODAY. WATER SHOWED UP
AT A RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY
FOR THE JACKSONVILLE BEACH
PIER. ACCORDING TO THE MAYOR’S
OFFICE. HE WASN’T PART OF THE
OFFICIAL PROGRAM. BUT WHEN HE
ARRIVED, HE WAS ALLOWED TO
PARTICIPATE. MY COLLEAGUE JOE
MCLEAN WAS THERE AND WANTED TO
ASK WATERS ABOUT HIS RESIDENCY
IN JACKSONVILLE. IT’S BEEN A
QUESTION SENT THEN SHERIFF
MIKE WILLIAMS LEFT OFFICE LAST
MONTH BECAUSE HE COULDN’T LIVE
IN DUVALL COUNTY. TODAY.
WATERS WAS IN A HURRY TO LEAVE
FOR JUST ONE QUICK QUESTION TO
BE.
>> JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION.
YES, SIR.
>> THERE WERE SOME QUESTIONS
YOUR DUVAL COUNTY ADDRESS. CAN
YOU SPEAK TO YOU LEGALLY LIVE
IN DUVALL 11 JACKSONVILLE,
FLORIDA JACKSON. OKAY. GOT
>> YOU ARE UP THERE. HOW ARE
YOU INVOLVED IN THE PIER
PROJECT? ONE QUESTION I LIVE
IN JACKSONVILLE. I LIVE IN
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA.
APPRECIATE THANK YOU. GO TO
THE PIER WATERS RECENTLY,
RETIRED FROM JSO BECAUSE OF
HIS POSITION IN LAW
ENFORCEMENT HEALTH. HIS
ADDRESS IS IN PUBLIC RECORD.
JSO DID CONFIRM TODAY THAT
WATERS HAD BEEN LIVING IN A
MOBILE HOME AT A PARK ON
JACKSONVILLE’S WESTSIDE.
>> SOME JSO OFFICERS ARE
ALLOWED TO RESIDE IN THESE
HOMES IN ORDER TO PROVIDE
SECURITY FOR THE PARKS. WATERS
HAS SINCE MOVED RIGHT WHERE WE
DON’T KNOW IN ORDER TO BE
SHERIFF IN DUVAL COUNTY, YOU
MUST BE A RESIDENT FOR 6
MONTHS BEFORE QUALIFYING FOR
THE ELECTION. THIS ISSUE IS
NOT THE ONLY QUESTION WE HAD
FOR WATERS. WE STILL WERE
HOPING TO HEAR FROM HIM ON
OTHER LIKE THE RECENT POLICE
SHOOTING IN AKRON. I CHECKED
WITH POLITICAL SCIENCE
PROFESSOR MIKE BENDER OF THE
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH FLORIDA,
WHO HAS DONE POLLS ON LOCAL
ELECTIONS. VENDOR DIDN’T TALK
SPECIFICALLY ABOUT WATERS
CAMPAIGN STRATEGY BUT SAYS IN
A RACE LIKE THIS, IT’S UNUSUAL
NOT TO WANT TO BE ON CAMERA
UNLESS YOU’RE THE INCUMBENT
WITH LOTS OF NAME RECOGNITION.
BUT REMEMBER, THERE’S NO
INCUMBENT IN THIS RACE. IF
YOUR CHALLENGER, PERHAPS WITH
LESS NAME RECOGNITION, MAYBE
IT’S AN OPEN SEAT.
>> DOTSON OPPORTUNITY WHERE
YOU’D WANT AS MUCH FREE PRESS
AS YOU COULD POSSIBLY
OBVIOUSLY YOU’D WANT POSITIVE
FREE PRESS. YOU DON’T WANT TO
BE ANSWERING QUESTIONS AND PUT
YOU IN A BAD LIGHT OR ANYTHING
OF THAT NATURE. BUT YOU DO
WANT TO GENERATE ATTENTION THE
MEDIA AND BE ABLE TO GET YOUR
NAME OUT THERE.
>> SO YOU KNOW WHAT THE
SPECIAL ELECTION IT’S IN 48
DAYS, WE’RE GOING TO PROBABLY
BE HEARING A LOT MORE FROM THE
CANDIDATES. IN FACT, THERE IS
GOING TO BE A DEBATE BEFORE
THIS ELECTION. SO WE’LL HEAR
THAT AND WATER SUPPOSED TO BE
PARTICIPATING IN THAT DEBATE.
AGAIN, WE SHOULD GET A CLEAR
PICTURE OF WHAT WILL BE
HAPPENING. YOU KNOW, I DID
REACH OUT TO THE WATERS
CAMPAIGN AGAIN TODAY TRYING TO
GET A COMMENT ON THIS STORY.
HAVEN’T HEARD BACK FROM THEM.