We have a goal at Channel 9 to be consistently transparent.
I think it’s important to post a story after Douglas County
Sheriff’s records show the office instructed deputies to treat a report of domestic
violence at the undersheriff’s house like any other call.
Law enforcement and other viewers have sent us tips
questioning whether deputies took longer than usual to respond to the call. The
sheriff’s office has sent out two news releases about the incident. (Read the 2nd news release here.)
The latest was to report that the Jefferson County Sheriff’s
Office reviewed the whole matter and found nothing improper occurred either
between Undersheriff Tony Spurlock and his wife or in how deputies handled the
call.
Some might say the story is a non-story, and I can see that
argument.
But the fact that allegations of wrongdoing have been flying
and the evidence I have today indicates the call was handled properly means
people deserve to have their names cleared. The issue has also become a hot one,
which is why the sheriff’s office has sent two news releases.
Had the documents shown the call wasn’t handled properly,
you can bet I’d be doing a story. Seems fair to do critical stories and ones
that show the system working properly.
