LARGO, Fla. — An elected chief in Largo is apologizing profusely after writing a latest Fb publish that sparked anger, confusion, and shock throughout the group.
The publish by longtime Metropolis Commissioner Michael Smith accuses the Largo Police Division of misconduct.
WATCH: “I’m completely sorry”: Largo commissioner presents apologies to police after Fb publish sparks anger
“I’m completely sorry”: Largo commissioner presents apologies to police after Fb publish sparks anger
“I’ll have a brand new mistrust with Largo PD,” Smith writes within the publish, which incorporates pictures of his accidents and no different context or particulars.
Monday night, in an interview with ABC Motion Information, the commissioner apologized a number of instances for the now-deleted publish, which he stated isn’t true and was posted early Sunday morning after an evening he can’t totally bear in mind.
“I’d prefer to apologize to the police division,” he stated. “I made a nasty determination. A foul factor occurred, after which it compounded on unhealthy choices.”
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“I’m completely sorry. I assist all the things they do,” he continued.
Smith says he suffers from sleep issues, so after he returned residence from a Saturday evening gala, he took an Ambien capsule. Finally, he took one other capsule, drove to a Wawa, and acted visibly impaired.
Although Smith says he had consumed a number of alcoholic drinks earlier within the night, he stated the Ambien was the explanation behind the erratic, embarrassing conduct.
Largo Police Division finally responded and took the commissioner into custody underneath the Marchman Act, a state regulation that permits for somebody to be involuntarily assessed, stabilized, or handled if they’re severely impaired on account of substance abuse.
“They took me to [Largo Medical Center], and I suppose I scraped my head alone proper right here on my brow slightly bit,” Smith stated of his accidents. “From what I collect, it was my very own doing and never the officers’ in any respect.”
Smith stated he wrote the Fb publish when he was nonetheless impaired however deleted it and apologized as quickly as he wasn’t. He continues to supply apologies to each Largo Police and the general public.
“I can solely apologize to my residents and our police division and our hearth and anyone I might have harmed — and, thank God, I didn’t,” he stated. “This was a nasty determination that opened my eyes to—I don’t need this to ever occur once more. This was a really, very unhealthy determination of mine.”
Smith stated he’ll discuss to his physician about how he treats his sleep problem and apply different safeguards to stop it from taking place once more.
Largo Police, in the meantime, provided no particulars besides to substantiate Smith was taken into custody underneath the Marchman Act.
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