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 images of his accidents and no different context or particulars.
Monday night, in an interview with ABC Motion Information, the commissioner apologized a number of occasions for the now-deleted publish, which he stated is just not true and was posted early Sunday morning after an evening he can’t totally bear in mind.
“I’d wish to apologize to the police division,” he stated. “I made a nasty resolution. A nasty factor occurred, after which it compounded on unhealthy selections.”
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“I’m completely sorry. I help every little thing they do,” he continued.
Smith says he suffers from sleep issues, so after he returned house from a Saturday night time gala, he took an Ambien tablet. Ultimately, he took one other tablet, 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 as a result of substance abuse.
“They took me to [Largo Medical Center], and I assume I scraped my head by myself proper right here on my brow a bit of 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 fireplace and anyone I may have harmed — and, thank God, I didn’t,” he stated. “This was a nasty resolution that opened my eyes to—I don’t need this to ever occur once more. This was a really, very unhealthy resolution of mine.”
Smith stated he’ll discuss to his physician about how he treats his sleep problem and observe different safeguards to forestall it from occurring once more.
Largo Police, in the meantime, supplied no particulars besides to substantiate Smith was taken into custody underneath the Marchman Act.
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