Midland County Sheriff Must Take Responsibility and Resign

[XLFD]

Readers of the Ludington Torch should remember the case of Midland County Sheriff Scott Stephenson who was hunting in Kalkaska County in November allegedly drove his car away from his camp for better cell phone reception, and then got picked up for drunk driving.  The LT article displays his public letter of contrition/apology in which he claims in multiple parts to accept responsibility for his actions:

"take responsibility for the mistake I made"

"I am accepting responsibility for my poor choice"

"I will accept full responsibility for my decision that day. No one else is responsible."

But there are two sides to this story:  the recollection of a super-drunk sheriff trying to assert sheriff-privilege and avoid any responsibility and the truth.  Fortunately, a brave Kalkaska County Deputy Ashley VanSloten weathered Stephenson's drunken brow-beatings and caught all of it on her bodycam including the immortal ode to taking responsibility:  "Jesus Christ, I'm a sheriff. I'm a constitutional (expletive) officer. You can't take me to (expletive) jail. I'm a goddam sheriff!"

Sheriff Stephenson has no intention of resigning before his term is up in 2020, please let him know that he must if he wants to save the integrity of the Midland County Sheriff's Office by writing a review or recommendation on the MCSO Facebook page or contact him via the MCSO webpage if you feel this guy needs to actually claim some real responsibility for his actions.  For now enjoy the investigative reporting of WJRT who received the police report and bodycam footage from the KCSO (catch their video on the link provided.

KALKASKA COUNTY (WJRT) (12/17/2018) - The police report and body camera footage from the Nov. 16 arrest of Midland County Sheriff Scott Stephenson shed new light on his drunken driving case.

Stephenson blew a 0.23 percent blood alcohol level on a preliminary breath test at the scene, nearly three times Michigan's 0.08 percent legal limit for drunken driving.
The incident started in the afternoon of Nov. 16, when a passerby reported seeing Stephenson's car stopped along M-66 near Lund Road south of Kalkaska. VanSloten responded to investigate.
Body camera footage from Kalkaska County sheriff's deputy Ashley VanSloten shows him asleep behind the wheel of his county-owned car.
"Sir, you need to wake up and talk to me," she is heard saying as she knocks on Stephenson's window.
It took a little time, but Stephenson woke up and spoke with the deputy.
"My dispatcher called. Someone thought you were dead over here," VanSloten told him.
Stephenson told the deputy he was on a deer hunting trip and had been driving from Gladwin County. He admitted he had been drinking earlier in the day.

Stephenson has said he left the deer camp after drinking to seek higher ground so he could make a cell phone call. But while driving, he said he felt the effects of alcohol taking hold so he pulled over.
The video and audio recording indicates that once an EMS crew arrived, Stephenson became aware of the severity of the situation and told the deputy this.
"I'm the (expletive) Midland County sheriff," he could be heard telling her on the video.
He told the deputy he had a bad day.
A short time later, Garfield Township Police Chief Jerry Cannon arrived on the scene. Cannon is the former sheriff of Kalkaska County and an acquaintance of Stephenson.
Cannon can be heard talking to the deputy and Stephenson.
"I could take responsibility for him. I know you have to do what you have to do," he told VanSloten.
That interaction came before field sobriety tests were performed. The police report shows Stephenson had trouble with the tests. He worried he wouldn't pass a preliminary breath test.
Stephenson can be heard asking the two not to arrest him.
"Jesus Christ, I'm a sheriff. I'm a constitutional (expletive) officer. You can't take me to (expletive) jail. I'm a goddam sheriff," he told Cannon and VanSloten on the video.

The breathlyzer test showed Stephenson's reading came in at 0.23 percent, above Michigan's super drunk limit of 0.17 percent.
Stephenson again asked VanSloten and Cannon to not place him under arrest. Cannon made a phone call to an unidentified person, walked away for a bit, but eventually came back saying Stephenson had to go to jail.
Stephenson apologized to VanSloten for putting her in a difficult position and she could be heard several times saying she was sorry, but there was nothing she nor Cannon could do.
"It was called in. It's over the radio," VanSloten told Stephenson.
In the end, Stephenson was arrested and taken to the Kalkaska County Jail.
"I made a poor choice. I drank too much today," he told VanSloten and Cannon.
"You own it and people will understand," Cannon responded.
Stephenson pleaded guilty last Thursday to operating a motor vehicle while visibly impaired. He was placed on probation for a year and fined.
While Stephenson has apologized to the pubic for what happened, he has no plans to resign as a result of the incident. However, he decided before the incident not to seek re-election when his term expires in 2020.

[snide]

It shouldn't be a question of resigning . He should be fired now and the Undersheriff should take over.....It is high time we institute the policy of "abuse your government job, lose your government job." They need to be held to a higher standard.

[XLFD]

I would hope that Midland County residents take the time and effort necessary to recall him from office for being so misleading and hypocritical, since this jerk will not ever take responsibility, no matter how many times he tells us he will. 

[shinblind]

Even if you are drunk you might not be guilty.

Don't be a Charles Dillon.

Call Sammy Seymour for legal representation.

And be sure to register your ride both as a road vehicle and an ORV.

The breath you blow might not be your own.

[XLFD]

Shinblind, have you went from summarizing by one or two haikus into summarizing by quintains?

If so be mindful of meter.  Thanks for the amusing insight.

[Willy]

As far as I'm concerned, his original letter of apology was full of holes filled with BS. He needs to go because he's ruining the reputation of the Midland Sheriff's dept and he is embarrassing the taxpayers and his employees. I bet this is not the first time he has been caught DUI. The other times he was probably freed or taken home. Kudos to officer VanSloten   who stood up and did the right thing.

[XLFD]

Deputy VanSloten deserves an award of merit for her part in this, but you won't see her get any from law enforcement.  Ironically, when this happens, you often see the 'Deputy VanSloten' have her law enforcement career irreparably damaged, while the 'Sheriff Scotch' has a mild hiccup and bounces back.