Five deputies with the Cumberland County, North Carolina, sheriff’s office were disciplined for failing to take action when an attendee at a rally for Donald Trump allegedly punched a black protester last week, the sheriff’s office announced on Wednesday.
Three of the deputies were demoted in rank and suspended without pay for five days, and two other deputies were suspended without pay for three days, according to Raleigh television station WRAL. All five deputies who witnessed the punch could face up to a year of probation.
“The actions of the deputies and their failures to act in situations such as that which occurred during the Trump rally at the Crown Coliseum have never been and will not ever be tolerated under the policies of this office,” Cumberland County Sheriff Earl “Moose” Butler said in a Wednesday statement on Facebook.
“We regret that any of the circumstances at the Trump rally occurred, and we regret that we have had to investigate all of these matters,” Butler continued. “Yet, it is our duty and responsibility to do justice, and to carefully examine not only the actions of others, but our own actions to ensure that the law and our policies are justly and fairly enforced based in principle and without other influences.”
John McGraw, 78, was arrested and charged with assault and battery and disorderly last week for allegedly punching a black protester at a Trump rally in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Video appears to show McGraw sucker-punching Rakeem Jones as he was led out of the rally by security.
Jones told WRAL that officers pushed him to the ground, but let McGraw stay at the rally.
“I thought I was being arrested, to be honest,” Jones said. “I saw, later on, that [McGraw] went back to his seat so I am trying to figure out why was he able to go back to his seat.”
The sheriff’s office arrested McGraw the day following the rally, according to WRAL.
WRAL reported earlier this week that the sheriff’s office had considered charging Trump for inciting a riot, but the sheriff’s office said that they will not file charges against Trump in connection to the alleged assault.
Yes. We need more of this. From what I saw in the video, all the deputies did was quickly subdue the man WHO WAS PUNCHED, and haul him out. Seems like that man could have a case, making this disciplinary action an attempt to mitigate the fallout. Frankly, I’m surprised by the move at all.
So, there you have it, Trump fans:
Trump tells you to commit violence against protestors and promises to pay your legal fees.
You respond by sucker-punching an obviously “bad” guy who allegedly flipped off the whole crowd, and had the nerve to be Black while doing it.
You get charged with assault and battery.
Trump refuses to pay your legal fees.
Five cops are suspended without pay, three get demoted and all are on probation for a year.
Trump walks away as if nothing happened.
.
The only concern I would have, if I were you, is what would the sheriff and his deputies have done if it wasn’t videoed and all over the internet?
“Appears to show”? Really? Shows it plain as day from what I’ve seen. But you “journalists” just keep on trying to find the truth!
And for the non-existent editors at TPM, the term is “sucker-punch”. The standalone “suck” part comes later…in quiet rooms, I’m sure.
The Deputies Union Rep will argue: “Hey, it was a Ni(CLANG!) getting punched! We HAD to arrest him (and ignore the guy who assaulted him right in front of us) to PROTECT HIM from the crowd. 'Cause we all know that in N.C. that Ni(CLANG!) get lynched for less.”
I shit you not. They will try this.
“The actions of the deputies and their failures to act in situations such as that which occurred during the Trump rally at the Crown Coliseum have never been and will not ever be tolerated under the policies of this office,” Cumberland County Sheriff Earl “Moose” Butler said in a Wednesday statement on Facebook.
Okay, my head just exploded a little bit.
When I was a boy, sheriff’s with names like “Moose” would have had their deputies beating up the protesters, and a lot more efficiently than this 78-year old amateur did.
Good for Moose.