Prosecutors put a lid on Sheriff Dupnik & Co.
By Michelle Malkin • January 20, 2011 04:00 AM There’s trouble in Tucson — and his name is Clarence Dupnik.
It seems a dispute with prosecutors has finally forced the office of the worst sheriff in America to stop publicly undermining the case against shooting suspect Jared Loughner.
Here’s the brief, but telling, press release from the Pima County Sheriff’s Office:
Local Tucson TV station KGUN reports:
The statement put an end to an interview by Sheriff’s Bureau Chief Richard Kastigar that had been scheduled for just 45 minutes later, at 1:00 PM. Kastigar had agreed to come to KGUN9's newsroom to discuss security video recorded in the Safeway parking lot the morning a deranged gunman opened fire, killing 6 people and wounding or injuring 14 others, including Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. CNN had booked a live interview with Kastigar, to be conducted by journalist Wolf Blitzer.
The federal government is prosecuting accused gunman Jared Lee Loughner only on those charges related to his actions against victims who were federal employees. It will be up to County Attorney Barbara LaWall to decide when, and whether, to prosecute Loughner on charges related to the other victims.
The word “controversy” contained in the statement would seem to imply some sort of disagreement or discord between the Sheriff’s Department and the office of County Attorney Barbara LaWall. But the statement did not elaborate about the nature of the controversy. When contacted by KGUN9 News, LaWall’s office declined to comment.
It’s all Rush Limbaugh’s fault!
michellemalkin.com
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Sheriff Dupnik: Rush Limbaugh call-out nearly crashed our system (video)
By David Nakamura
Among the breakout figures - including astronaut Mark Kelly, intern Daniel Hernandez, and Dr. Peter Rhee -- to gain national acclaim in the wake of the Tucson shooting tragedy, none has developed the controversial, love-hate appeal of Pima County Sheriff Clarence W. Dupnik.
Dupnik was cheered loudly by the crowd at the memorial service last Thursday at the University of Arizona that featured President Obama. But he has also received boos and hate mail, Dupnik acknowledged in a sit-down interview with Washington Post reporters Sari Horwitz and David Nakamura this week. He said talk show host Rush Limbaugh encouraged listeners to email the sheriff's office and "tell them what you think" and the department's computers nearly crashed after angry emails began flooding in.
Then again, he also told the Post he had received a supportive call from Ethel Kennedy, the widow of Bobby Kennedy who remains a fierce gun control advocate.
Watch and listen to what he told us:
Since the first hours of the incident, Dupnik has appeared on television far and wide, doing what law enforcement officials often try hard to avoid: injecting personal opinions and politics into a high-profile criminal case with sensitive evidence.
In a nationally televised news conference after the shooting, Dupnik said: "I'd just like to say that when you look at unbalanced people, how they are - how they respond to the vitriol that comes out of certain mouths, about tearing down the government, the anger, the hatred, the bigotry that goes on in this country is getting to be outrageous."
As the Post's Peter Wallsten wrote last week Dupnik, 75, who has been the sheriff for three decades, is no stranger to controversy. He loudly opposed Arizona's strict new immigration laws, calling them "racist." Since the shooting, he has been critical of the political right, including Sarah Palin, for pumping up rhetoric and creating an environment that could lead unstable people to violence.
voices.washingtonpost.com |
