Sheriff Dupnik is quick to launch baseless accusations against conservative figures, not so quick to release actual, relevant information regarding the shooter. What’s wrong, Clarence, the facts don’t match the narrative?
Sheriff’s Department and community-college officials in Pima County are refusing to release a wide range of public documents about the man charged in Saturday’s shooting rampage that left six dead and more than a dozen wounded.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department and Pima Community College have declined to release documents that could shed light on run-ins they had with 22-year-old Jared Loughner in the months prior to the shooting.
The Arizona Public Records Law requires that records be “open to inspection by any person at all times” unless officials can prove releasing the information would violate rights of privacy or confidentiality or otherwise harm the best interests of the state.
Pima Community College has confirmed that Loughner was suspended after multiple disruptions and outbursts, five of which involved campus police. The college had promised to release relevant documents by Sunday. But by Tuesday, nothing had been released. College officials blame the FBI for wanting the documents kept quiet for now.
As for Sheriff Dupnik:
On Monday, The Republic requested copies of any reports from the Pima County Sheriff’s Department involving contacts with Loughner or calls to his house. Pima County Deputy Rene Carlson said her office would not release the reports without a specific date, though this is not required by state statute.
Carlson said providing these documents would be tantamount to releasing criminal history.
Carlson said she could not speculate on the nature of any calls for service regarding Loughner. She also said no calls or incidents involved threats made by Loughner.
The Republic also requested the names of the people wounded in Saturday’s shooting. The Sheriff’s Department has not released any names, although names of several victims have emerged in media reports. The Sheriff’s Department did not provide a reason for withholding the list.
Boy, Dupnik sure doesn’t like to release actually relevant information. But he sure doesn’t mind going on television to make baseless, incendiary accusations against conservatives and libertarians.
12. January 2011 at 1:16 pm
I hope requests are also made for communications between the Sheriff’s office and Jared Lougher’s family – especially his mother who as a Pima County employee may have had special treatment that allowed her son to escape the consequences of his behavior.
12. January 2011 at 11:58 pm
I’m not sure if there was a single cop out there with more than a couple of years on the job that wasn’t saying to him or herself “what the hell is this guy doing?” Worse yet, the guy was running off at the mouth about a multiple homicide case where the suspect was in custody and he didn’t even have to solve the case. What was he doing other than giving the killer and his attorney ammunition for a defense? What a political hack moron. Those of us in law enforcement (35 years for me) are not only dumbfounded but our hearts go out to the deputies that are under this guy’s command. Yeah, most of us remember when this idiot announced that he wasn’t going to enforce an Arizona law about illegals and endangered every single deputy and citizen in his jurisdiction by doing so. The guy apparently has a problem keeping his mouth shut and his politics to himself. That’s a disaster to any community that needs a real professional and not some political hack with no common sense.