>> FROM THE LOCAL STATION NEWSFOURJAX. >> NOW AT 6, THE JACKSONVILLE
SHERIFF’S OFFICE HAS NOW
LAUNCHED AN INTERNAL
INVESTIGATION INTO A TOP
RANKING SERGEANT WHO YOU SEE
HERE WITH TARIK MINOR. THIS
COMES AFTER THE FACT IT
EXPOSED RACIST THAT LOCAL
PASTOR DAVEY OFFICER POSTED ON
SOCIAL MEDIA SINCE OUR REPORT
YESTERDAY. A NEW TWEET
TARGETING THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY.
A SURF NEWS FOR JAX’S ASKING
BOTH JACKSONVILLE SHERIFF
CANDIDATES.
>> HOW THEY WOULD ADDRESS ANY
KIND OF PREJUDICE WHEN IT
COMES TO POLICE NEWS. 4 JAX, I
TEAM INVESTIGATOR, TARIK
MINOR, BROKE THE STORY AND
JOINS US NOW WITH THEIR
ANSWERS. SO I INVITE BOTH KIT
FOR TK WATERS AND LAKIESHA
BURTON FOR SIT DOWN INTERVIEW
TODAY TO TALK ABOUT THE ISSUE
OF RACE AND HOW IN SOME
INSTANCES IT AFFECTS THE WAY
THE POLICE OFFICERS INTERACT
WITH THE PUBLIC. TK WATERS
DECLINED. THE SIT-DOWN
INTERVIEW IN ISSUED A WRITTEN
STATEMENT INSTEAD, THE KEY
SHERBORNE AGREED TO MEET ME IN
PERSON AND SAYS IF POLICE TO
PROVE THAT THE GANG UNIT
SERGEANT DID INDEED MAKE THOSE
POSTS, IT’S HER OPINION THAT
HE SHOULD NO LONGER BE ABLE TO
WEAR A POLICE UNIFORM. JSO
GANG UNIT, SERGEANT DOUGLAS
HOWE SEEN HERE STANDING FRONT
AND CENTER ON MONDAY. ITS
SUPPORT OF SHERIFF’S CANDIDATE
TK WATERS.
>> IN A POLITICAL EVENT AT THE
FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE
NEWS. 4 JAX US LEARNED JSO IS
CONDUCTING AN INTERNAL
INVESTIGATION SURROUNDING AT
LEAST 3 SOCIAL MEDIA POST.
THEY INCLUDE THIS POST WERE
HOWELL APPEARS TO DISPARAGE
BOY AND GIRL SCOUTS OF
JACKSONVILLE’S PRIDE. A PARADE
WRITING. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY
INFURIATING. THESE PEOPLE ARE
SICK AND DEMENTED. ANOTHER
TWEET FROM THE SAME TWITTER
HANDLE AT DPH UNDERSCORE 78
RIGHTS. AMERICA HAS 3
PROBLEMS, MARIJUANA ABUSE,
MARIJUANA ABUSE AND BLACK
PEOPLE.
>> I WAS APPALLED, YOU KNOW,
AS A MOTHER, A BLACK WOMAN
WITH 3 BLACK SONS I SAW
IMMEDIATELY THAT IS NOT AND A
POLICE OFFICER THAT I WANT MY
SONS TO ENCOUNTER BUT AND WE,
ALI, THE POLICE OFFICER HAS
THE RIGHT TO A FAIR AND
IMPARTIAL INVESTIGATION TO
DETERMINE IF, IN FACT THERE’S
LEGITIMACY TO THIS COMPLAINT.
ACACIA BARTON SAYS IF SHE
BECOMES JACKSONVILLE’S NEXT,
SHERIFF SHALL IMPLEMENT MORE
DIVERSITY TRAINING AND CALL
FOR MORE ACCOUNTABILITY.
>> SHE’S ALSO CRITICIZING TK
WATERS FOR NOT DOING AN
ON-CAMERA INTERVIEW ABOUT THIS
STORY.
>> HE’S RUNNING TO BE THE TOP
COP. I THINK THAT SAYS STOPS
AND IN WRITTEN CORRESPONDENCE
IS IN TALKS TO THE PEOPLE HE’S
WON. TO BE THE SHERIFF OVER.
SO I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT
RIGHT NOW FOR US TO ADDRESS.
THESE TOUGH ISSUES HEAD ON
PUBLICLY. THE VOTERS WILL KNOW
WHAT TYPE OF SHERIFF THEY’RE
GOING TO GET.
>> WATERS DID ISSUE THIS
STATEMENT TODAY TO NEWS 4 JAX
WRITING. THERE’S NO PLACE FOR
RACISM OR DISCRIMINATION IN
THE JSO AND I WILL NOT
TOLERATE IT AS YOUR NEXT
SHERIFF WHILE IT IS IMPORTANT
THAT THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE
COMPLETE THEIR INVESTIGATION
INTO THE SITUATION, I FIND
THESE ALLEGED POST DEEPLY
DISTURBING. THEY SUBVERT JSO
IS EFFORTS TO IMPROVE TRUST IN
THE UNDERMINE OUR OFFICERS
ABILITY TO BUILD BRIDGES
THROUGHOUT JACKSONVILLE NEWS,
4 JAX CAUGHT UP WITH SERGEANT
DOUGLAS HOWELL AFTER TK WATERS
CAMPAIGN EVENT. HERE’S WHAT HE
SAID WHEN I ASKED HIM ABOUT
HIS TWITTER PAGE
>> JUST WE YOU SEE THERE’S
SOME PASSENGERS SAID THAT THE
STUFF THAT YOU TREATED WITH
KIND OF RACIALLY LAST
QUESTION, I’M ASKED YOU THE 3
BIGGEST PROBLEMS. SO WHAT IT
WAS LIKE IF WE FIND OFFICERS.
>> TO HAVE THESE TYPE OF
IDEOLOGIES AND BELIEF SYSTEMS.
>> THOSE ARE SHOULD NOT BE
WEARING THIS UNIFORM.
>> THE JACKSONVILLE SHERIFF’S
OFFICE ISSUED A STATEMENT
ABOUT THE ALLEGATIONS IN THE
ONGOING INTERNAL
INVESTIGATION. SHERIFF IVEY
WRITING IN PART OUR GOAL
DURING THE PROCESS WILL BE TO
ENSURE A COMPLETE AND ACCURATE
INVESTIGATION IS CONDUCTED
WITH ALL THE AVAILABLE
INFORMATION. I WANT TO ENSURE
THAT ANY POTENTIAL DISCIPLINE
LEVIED FOR IDENTIFIED
VIOLATIONS OF POLICY IS AS
INCLUSIVE AS POSSIBLE AND THAT
ALL APPLICABLE POST ARE
CAPTURED PRIOR TO THIS
DECISION BEING MADE AS SUCH.
I’VE REACHED OUT TO THE LOCAL
MEDIA OUTLETS WHO INITIALLY
RAN THE STORY. I’VE ASKED HIM
TO PROVIDE ANY INFORMATION
THEY HAVE IN THEIR POSSESSION
OR IS RECEIVED AT A LATER
DATE. SHERIFF IVEY ALSO TOLD
ME IN A PHONE CALL TODAY THAT
THE LEVEL OF DISCIPLINE FOR
VIOLATING JSO SOCIAL MEDIA
POLICY IN THE PAST HAS RANGED