LARGO, Fla. — An elected chief in Largo is apologizing profusely after writing a current Fb submit that sparked anger, confusion, and shock throughout the neighborhood.
The submit 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 submit sparks anger
“I’m completely sorry”: Largo commissioner presents apologies to police after Fb submit sparks anger
“I’ll have a brand new mistrust with Largo PD,” Smith writes within the submit, 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 instances for the now-deleted submit, which he stated just isn’t true and was posted early Sunday morning after an evening he can’t absolutely bear in mind.
“I’d wish to apologize to the police division,” he stated. “I made a nasty choice. A nasty factor occurred, after which it compounded on dangerous selections.”
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“I’m completely sorry. I assist every thing they do,” he continued.
Smith says he suffers from sleep issues, so after he returned dwelling from a Saturday evening 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 just a few alcoholic drinks earlier within the night, he stated the Ambien was the explanation behind the erratic, embarrassing conduct.
Largo Police Division in the end responded and took the commissioner into custody underneath the Marchman Act, a state legislation that enables 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 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 submit 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 choice that opened my eyes to—I don’t need this to ever occur once more. This was a really, very dangerous choice of mine.”
Smith stated he’ll speak to his physician about how he treats his sleep problem and apply different safeguards to forestall it from taking place 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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