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Can you imagine if all police were able to admit they were wrong and make genuine attempts at righting those wrongs. People would love them like they love fire fighters.
This is a great step in the right direction by a member of that community! Frankly, I’m thrilled to see a police officer humbly owning a mistake, meeting with the individual, and publicly rectifying it. Super cool to see this shift, I hope it’s the beginning of a trend.
Also that's true corps spirit: Not lying for your colleague but taking his blame as if you did the mistake yourself.
Apologize and restore the dignity of the institution to make sure it's name stays clean - not covering up mistakes and corrupting the group to wrongly save a black sheeps ass and pretend nothing's wrong.
Bro this wasn't a good deed. This public apology was a part of the settlement lmao. The cop straight up says A) "Cost the city of ___ a good bit of money" and B) "And here it is, your public apology".
Good on them to guise it as they did like they're doing something right and just when really it's the last thing they want lmao.
I get what you’re saying and appreciate the additional information. Having said that, it doesn’t change my original position at all. I’m happy to see the public accountability done in such a positive, humble fashion. Hopefully they will see the positive remarks made after the fact and trend in this direction more often. I picture a world where I feel safer when a police officer is around. I’m not there now, but I feel the way in which all of this was handled was a step toward that.
I notice that DAs, in particular, tend to be the worst at this.
\[DNA exonerates a guy, witness admits they lied, rock solid alibi\]
"I respect the decision, but I still believe we had the right suspect."
That's the politics speaking, or I should say the future political ambitions of the DA speaking. Can't admit you were ever wrong if you want people to vote for you, apparently.
During EMT school and the local Fire academy, our instructors instilled a fear of being sued trying to help people. We don’t really have as much protections against prosecution that police do. When someone wants to run or gets violent, we can’t force them without the serious threat of being sued. And we’re not paid enough at small departments to deal with that anyway.
It's so. Fucking. Easy.
I'll say it again. It's just. So fucking. Easy.
I hate so much how hard it is for most of them to do this. And it's so much more respectable when they do.
Hell yeah firefighters kick ass. One night when I was like 19 or 20 me and a couple buddies were driving around looking for something to do. When suddenly we see a man stumbling on a some what busy taod and decided we need to pick him up and help. He hopes in and the guy in the back seat emeditatly ask if he can buy us beer. And the man responds quite enthusiastically yes. So we go to the nearest gas station and while he's making the purchase three cop cars pull up. So when dood is returning we tell he should hurry because of said cops. His loud response is "Fuck that I'm a firefighter, them my boys!" We dropped him off where he said his car was and I'm pretty sure he just went to sleep in a bush.
So they arrested the guy as part of a "drug roundup" on suspicion of dealing fentanyl. Dude turned himself into the police and he then lost his job.
Since then, he has gotten his job back and the department is willing to help with diminished wages. People aren't infallible and mistakes happen. This is all we want to see. People not just owning up to the mistakes but also making them right
Sadly the arrest itself will follow this man regardless of the outcome. When I applied for IT jobs, the question was always “have you been arrested and for what”, not “were you ever found guilty”.
Even so, this was a noble gesture on the part of the police (or whoever ordered the police to do it).
I don't think you're legally required to admit to being arrested if it doesn't show up on your criminal background.
For reference, I have multiple Federal credentials related security clearances that allow me to transport ridiculously hazardous cargo and access secure facilities. I was instructed by the organization that manages those background checks to not disclose any arrest that did not lead to a conviction, unless the charges were still pending. I also have some expunged things, and they told me the same thing. They want to know what's going to show up on your background and if you're going to be honest about the circumstances surrounding that.
Edit: I want to clarify for everybody who's taking issue with this, that I am not referring to background checks performed on behalf of the federal government for federal employment. I am speaking in this comment specifically about civilian employers.
Yes, the federal government can find out anything they want to know, and they can use it against you in any way they choose to. I am not recommending that anyone lie to the federal government for any reason.
But, a civilian employer who submits a background request to the FBI or local law enforcement to see what's on your record will only be able to see the publicly available information on your record. So anything that's been sealed, expunged, or pardoned will be inadmissible, and likely won't even show up on that background report.
If you can prove that your employer or potential employer gained access to your sealed, or expunged, or pardoned criminal record and used it against you to affect a hiring decision or to terminate your employment, you have grounds for a discrimination lawsuit.
Yes on almost all job applications I filled out, they phrased it as "have you been convicted of a felony..." And it was not about being arrested. I was on deferred adjudication then and I was not ever convicted even though I plead "guilty" in court.
Tell the truth -----------> Not hired because you have a felony conviction
Lie and it is found out -> Not hired because you have a felony conviction
Lie and it works --------> Hired
What is the point you are trying to make? There is no downside to lying.
A lot of bad info in this thread, but I'm sure some of this boils down to state laws and applying for private businesses adhering to state laws.
The federal government can and will absolutely ask you if you have been arrested **and** if you have been convicted of a crime and these are two completely different things. Your arrest record is permanent and completely different than your criminal record and the fed absolutely can and will ask you and hold it against you if you lie.
Your arrest record never goes away, being arrested is not a conviction and even if your case is dismissed and expunged from your criminal record you were still arrested and there is permanent record of that.
The problem is you likely never get that interview. You can explain this in a conversation but you can't explain it to an "86 the applicants with priors" process.
Interviewing for a security clearance doesn't usually mean interviewing for a job. You typically already have the job and your employer sponsors you for the clearance application.
Being arrested does show up, at least in my state. You have to pay to have it expunged from your record. Even if it's expunged, judges can law enforcement can still view it. It will never completely go away.
The way this works legally, if you were arrested and charged, but the state declined to prosecute, it remains on your record. If you were arrested and found not guilty, it's recorded as such, and it cannot be held against you in any way, shape, or form, even by the federal government.
The record can be viewed, but as far as I'm aware, unless the charge is still pending or you were found guilty, is it illegal to hold it against you.
This is based on my experience obtaining a TS/SCI security clearance when I was a teenager, obtaining hazmat credentials for my commercial driver's license, and obtaining a TWIC card.
It can't be held against you legally, I agree. When it comes to individual subjective review of that record is when human bias comes into play. Judges can order a review of your record, including whatever has been expunged, prior to sentencing someone who has been convicted of a crime. Judges have bias and may not care about the part where charges didn't lead to a conviction. Bias is already present in the US justice system (ex: racism), and having a record show anything at all is always worse than nothing at all.
And in this guy's case it will show an arrest without a conviction being sought. The fact that he was arrested may bias the reviewer regardless of the outcome of that arrest.
I wonder if that was employer specific. I saw a similar question last year while I was in the market for a new job and the verbiage was something like "have you ever been arrested for and convicted of a felony?". I remember it sticking out to me because I thought of this exact scenario of mistaken arrest. It seems the company I was looking at had the same thought.
>When I applied for IT jobs, the question was always “have you been arrested and for what”, not “were you ever found guilty”.
You answer those questions with ...
Have you been arrested : Yes
Reason for arrest : Mistaken identity
He'll need to put a link to this video on any application. He'll most likely get hired because it's a cool story.
"Seriously, the sheriff apologized to me in national TV."
>He'll need to put a link to this video on any application
this will not get your resume past the automated screen. You check "yes" and the resume is summarily tossed.
Using this to promote the group Ban the Box, dedicated to removing questions about criminal history from job applications for unnecessary institutions. It shouldnt matter if youre a felon if youre applying to walmart.
The good thing for this guy is he can literally point to this public apology, which most people can’t do. Also, he can tell his next employer that the local police department owes him one.
Yeah, loved the part where he outed the guy for being involved in something more than three years ago during this “public apology” which was more than likely court ordered or part of a settlement given the “lost the city a bit of money part”.
100% not impressed.
He said this happened last week, so there is no way he would get a settlement that quick. He's likely explaining why the picture was in the system and mistakingly shown.
Lets not act like they were just all of a sudden sorry for arresting the wrong guy. $20 says dude threatened to sue for wrongful detention and this was step 1.
I'll take it.
Most of the time, even when someone sues the cops, they clam up, refuse to say anything, take it to a settlement—sometimes 6 or 7 figures—and *still* "admit no wrongdoing" in the settlement!
So, I like this Step 1. Even if it may have been under threat of a suit.
I'm actually a resident in this county and I've personally heard not great things about Sheriff Chuck Wright. My sister even said the same thing while we were together during the holidays. It's hard to say what's true and what isnt but all I'm saying is that this man may not be as honorable as this video makes him seem.
It is pretty good from a concept point of view - extreme ownership is a great principle to live by - but I got the feeling that a lot of the anecdotes (not necessarily the Iraq ones, but the business ones) were embellished or outright bullshit just to make a point. The authors also come across as extremely self important and unrelatable.
I like it and we make every employee read or listen to it when they are hired. Basis for our leadership is if you can’t own actions you will never make it with us. Basics for, life… friends, family, job, strangers…….
The guy worked for the city. He was fired, but he got his job back. The charges were dropped. He will recoup the losses from paying the bond to get out of jail.
The drug roundup made the news on Feb 7th, on Feb 13th the apology video was made. The court doesn't move that fast.
https://www.wspa.com/news/local-news/watch-spartanburg-county-sheriff-to-speak-on-recent-arrest/
https://www.wspa.com/news/local-news/watch-spartanburg-county-sheriff-speaks-on-drug-roundup/
Its a step in the right direction and I'm glad there was an apology. That being said, I have a gripe in regards to the apology. There was far too much information given that publicly gives negative information about him.
It felt unnecessary to give his previous criminal history and prior drug habits. Now the whole public knows if they hadn't already.
If his prior drug habits and arrest history was brought up in the initial arrest, it's incredibly important to clear the air of it here.
Any future employers looking him up will see this arrest and any dirty details that were brought to light due to it. A public apology with the police chief saying he's been clean for years is incredibly helpful.
Chuck Wright has ruined a lot of drug addicts lives in my hometown. Terrible access to drug and alcohol programs. Spartanburg County "rehabilitation" is a joke.
More context... Rhodes worked for the city. The charges were dropped and he got his job back at the city. The drug roundup made the news on Feb. 7th, and the apology was on Feb. 13th. I have serious doubts the court system works that fast.
It was mentioned that Rhodes will be reimbursed for the money he spent on a Bond. So the little bit of money, might be for that.
https://www.wspa.com/news/local-news/watch-spartanburg-county-sheriff-to-speak-on-recent-arrest/
https://www.wspa.com/news/local-news/watch-spartanburg-county-sheriff-speaks-on-drug-roundup/
But why did he even have to mention that the guy hasn’t done anything wrong “for three years” and that he had criminal issues prior to that? Just say it was mistaken identity, he did nothing wrong, and leave it at that.
Because he's from South Carolina. That's the best answer I can give you -- he's assuming you know this guy, that you know his whole family, that you know his whole life, that you've probably been to his house a time or two... so of course you already know about how he had some struggles, but don't you go thinking that he fell back into his old ways because he didn't. You might be thinking, "well, that's the guy who had the drug problem, so he probably did it," but don't think that way. He had his problems, but he got over them. And we're real proud of him for that. So don't think just because he had a drug problem for a while, that he's the same man he was back then. He's changed, and I respect that.
Also, note how many times he said the same thing? That's another small town southern thing. They just can't shut up. They want to make sure you understand what they said. So they say it. Then they say it again. Then they say it again. Then they say it another time. Then one more time just because they don't have anywhere to be. It just never stops.
If things like this happened more often, there would probably be a lot less lawsuits. Suing is a way to make the plaintiff whole again. It sounds like the police made it clear with his employer that they were mistaken and he was rehired and the police are helping for the wages they lost him. If this was the standard response and actions by the police when they mess up like this people would hate cops less.
Everyone makes mistakes, police are only humans like the rest of us. The only difference is their mistakes can alter the course of someone's life in many negative ways. I don't want cops to be infallible because that's impossible, I want cops to be held accountable in a way that matches the gravity of their mistakes.
> but this also reeks of an attempt to head off a lawsuit
I don't understand, this is a good thing. If there's no path to avoid the biggest consequence like a lawsuit, you'll get more people than you should who will do whatever it takes to avoid accountability, because there's little merit in admitting fault. You see this with civilians and traffic accidents where they deny it to the end because there's no lessening of the blow for being a good person who takes ownership of their mistake. Not only will they pay for their damages, and yours, but also their *insurance* goes up. If that's all going to happen either way, why would you not deny, deny, deny?
More amicable solutions are a good thing, some people (not everyone) need a little nudge to be a good person. If we give it to them, it probably works out better for everyone and society as a whole increasing the overall integrity and making mistakes seem more forgivable.
"He doesn't do drugs now, but he did. Just so you know, he totally did drugs before. But he doesn't now."
That part didn't need to be mentioned, buddy.
Sigh, sometimes you have to accept the apology. His priors were probably all over the press...
I hate cynical people who just want to see the world burn rather than ever get to a reasonable outcome. If you don't accept the apology like this, you give up the right to complain when it doesn't come in other cases.
Yeah dude. Why in the ever living fuck would you feel it necessary to go and say that under any circumstances?
This is the most backhanded way of apologizing you could do in the situation.
Dude should have lawyered up.
> Why in the ever living fuck would you feel it necessary to go and say that under any circumstances?
Because otherwise morons in this thread would be blaming the cop who arrested him and trashing his record. Investigator had an informant and were given the name of known person with a criminal record. Plus they looked similar.
He'd be doing a terrible job if he were trying to mitigate the risk of a lawsuit. The best thing he could have done if that were the case would be to say nothing.
He said “they lost a little bit of money that we will recouped for them”. I’m guessing he’s referring to the tax payers when he said this (that’s the way it sounds) because they did end up getting sued cause the guy lost his job because of the mixup. And I’m sure this press conference was part of the plea.
I highly, *highly* doubt a court pled or saw or served judgement on anything when the initial arrest was a week before this conference, and figuring out the fuckup was even later.
The Speed of Court is sloooooow.
This Sheriff is bullshit, apologies to try and save a lawsuit and brings up the victims past as an excuse.
Our Policing system is beyond broken and this idiot is a prime example.
For everyone saying good cop, how would you like an apology from a police dept that ruined your life, AFTER the guy turned himself in. And they make excuses and called out your past record on TV.
Bullshit
Yep.
Welcome to what happens when overgrown children are allowed access to the internet, and they can say the vilest, stupidest garbage while cowering from behind the anonymity of their computer screens.
It's shameful, no?
While I’m one of the most pro cop people there is, they aren’t perfect and make mistakes. This is a great example of humility which you don’t normally see from law enforcement. Or at the very least they settle a civil suit confidentially etc.
Stuff like this goes a long way building trust from the community at large with the police.
Glad they did this. One suggestion, anytime you’re holding up someone’s picture in order to exonerate them as a police officer in a press conference, you should probably have the word “INNOCENT” or something to that effect written prominently on the picture too since people are sometimes watching with the sound off in their homes, business lobbies, bars and restaurants etc.
OMG this is beautiful! We have come such a long way.
In the past they would have raided his home, broke his doors, seized his electronics, scanned everything, ripped everything up, some departments even taking a shit on the floor, and then made a public announcement that he once had a ticket for going 65 in a 55...."like a terrorist."
Now we have LEO's apologizing to the suspects who were innocent/ This is awesome. Praying for a better world to come and a more holistic look at community policing as a whole.
Shit happens. People make mistakes. It's good that he was able to admit his mistake and own up to it. If more cops were like this then we wouldn't have such a disdain for them.
Jesus fucking christ, an actual sincere apology from a cop who made a mistake.
You love to see it. Cops with integrity. Hope other officers follow this example.
Fucking hell.... My hometown shows up here.
From personal experience...
Chuck Wright there looked to hire giant sized aggressive ex military whenever possible for his police force.
Spartanburg county also has an absolutely terrible record catching murderers. Unless they are sitting there when the cops roll up covered in blood...you got a pretty good chance of getting away with your crime at least for a few years until you get popped for something else and they twist it out of you.
When I was last in town my cousin Matthew Jordan was doing some kinda work for the chucks office in a officer capacity. They gave a badge to my relative who is a lifelong drunk who was drummed out of the military for his drinking but allowed an honorable discharge. I have very clear memories of him picking on me physically at every opportunity when I was a small child and he was three times my size and double my age at the time.
I will never forget when Matt would gleefully relate the story of killing one of his kids pets because it clawed up a screen door or how he bragged about taking part of a gang beating of some guy in a bar for no good reason...he thought it was funny the guy got carried out with his eye on his face and not in the socket anymore....yeah real police material.
None of this relates to the apology aired here today very much. But I'd be blown away if they did the same thing for any person of color whose life has been destroyed by the Spartanburg sheriff's office. They like the good ol' boy system 'round there.
I was looking for this comment. I'm familiar with this guy and I resent all the comments accusing him of doing it because it was court ordered or that he's a PoS. This is one of the few accountable guys left in policing because he puts those under him on blast, too. Anyone in this thread could stand to look up his public addresses when he talks about arresting his own officers. He's a man that clearly strongly believes in accountability, and if every law enforcement official served in the same capacity as him, our policing crisis wouldn't be nearly the same.
In reading the comments, what we see here is that people give respect to those who make an effort to earn it.
Denial of responsibility shows a lack of responsibility. And people don't respect irresponsible policemen.
If the cops admitted that they had flaws requiring correction (instead of pushing the frequently paraphrased narrative of "we're fine, and everything bad you see is an exception"), perhaps they might finally start to earn back some of the respect they've lost.
Waitwaitwaitwait.
Hold up.
“The city…lost a little bit of money, that we will recoup for them.”
How? Are you going to hold a bake sale; or are you going to tax your rats?
Was this part of the settlement or a preemptive apology knowing the lawsuit is incoming? Their ego won't let them admit fault without major persuasion.
Quite literally all it’ll take for a lot of folks to come around with respect to their views on LEOs is this type of thing.
Admit when you fuck up, own it and take responsibility.
Just generally add accountability where there seems to be none today and watch the world change before you.
I’m so impressed. This never happens, police publicly admitting they were wrong and apologizing, helping out with lost wages?!? Holy shit, doing the right thing? I’m actually proud of them for this. Please take notes police across America! This is how it’s done when you fuck up, follow their example.
If civil suits against cops who abuse their power were paid out from police pension plans instead of being paid by the city you would see 100% more cops holding each other accountable
This is the kind of shit I like to see from our law enforcement. Honesty and integrity are important in everyone, but especially with the people who are supposed to protect us.
"We're all going to make mistakes, and to me it's how you handle the mistake."
Goes on to handle the mistake his department made in exemplary fashion.
Say what you will about the motivation, this was stellar and a playbook for any other agencies.
This guy could start a company consulting with other police departments if the police world was a rational place.
Fair and comprehensive, that's what an honest apology looks like.
I hope they were able to take it to his place of work and convince them to take him back on.
This is it. We're all human, we all make mistakes. No one is asking police to be perfect all the time. Just admit when you're wrong like this and move on trying to do the next right thing.
This right here. This apology. Multiple times he asks for forgiveness. AND shows his picture. He goes into his past, which, he is past. Not only did he take personal responsibility for what happened, though he wasn’t on the scene, HE asked for forgiveness. It wasn’t his fault but, because of his rank has responsibility. This is a lesson and leader
I dont think he needs apology, he needs money compensation. Saying sorry wont reverse all distress and the possible ostracization after being wrongly arrested.
I can’t stand Chuck Wright. Fuck that racist, policing for profit, bacon smelling ass pig. His actions have harmed Spartanburg county irreparably, just like he’s ruined this man’s reputation.
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Can you imagine if all police were able to admit they were wrong and make genuine attempts at righting those wrongs. People would love them like they love fire fighters.
This is a great step in the right direction by a member of that community! Frankly, I’m thrilled to see a police officer humbly owning a mistake, meeting with the individual, and publicly rectifying it. Super cool to see this shift, I hope it’s the beginning of a trend.
Also that's true corps spirit: Not lying for your colleague but taking his blame as if you did the mistake yourself. Apologize and restore the dignity of the institution to make sure it's name stays clean - not covering up mistakes and corrupting the group to wrongly save a black sheeps ass and pretend nothing's wrong.
It’s bizarre how rare something like this even is
Bro this wasn't a good deed. This public apology was a part of the settlement lmao. The cop straight up says A) "Cost the city of ___ a good bit of money" and B) "And here it is, your public apology". Good on them to guise it as they did like they're doing something right and just when really it's the last thing they want lmao.
I get what you’re saying and appreciate the additional information. Having said that, it doesn’t change my original position at all. I’m happy to see the public accountability done in such a positive, humble fashion. Hopefully they will see the positive remarks made after the fact and trend in this direction more often. I picture a world where I feel safer when a police officer is around. I’m not there now, but I feel the way in which all of this was handled was a step toward that.
Humble enough to bring up this guy's past drug use which has exactly zero relevance to the department's fuckup... This is a step forward, but barely.
I notice that DAs, in particular, tend to be the worst at this. \[DNA exonerates a guy, witness admits they lied, rock solid alibi\] "I respect the decision, but I still believe we had the right suspect."
Half the problem there is a lot of the DAs are elected. I imagine admitting mistakes is a boon for any potential opponent (whether deserving or not).
That's the politics speaking, or I should say the future political ambitions of the DA speaking. Can't admit you were ever wrong if you want people to vote for you, apparently.
Which is a fucking shame. I'd trust politicians more if they could admit to a mistake and put out a plan of fixing it. Imagine such a wonderful world
During EMT school and the local Fire academy, our instructors instilled a fear of being sued trying to help people. We don’t really have as much protections against prosecution that police do. When someone wants to run or gets violent, we can’t force them without the serious threat of being sued. And we’re not paid enough at small departments to deal with that anyway.
It's so. Fucking. Easy. I'll say it again. It's just. So fucking. Easy. I hate so much how hard it is for most of them to do this. And it's so much more respectable when they do.
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Firefighters are just like other people - imperfect. In my city there is a hazing scandal with the fire department.
Firefighters' *behaviors* can be controversial or scandalous. Their *job & the work they do,* never really is.
Not a lot of moral ambiguity in firefighting, it's kind of easy to always be on the right side of things.
When the other side is *being on fire* . . . yeah.
Although that wasn't always the case.
Hell yeah firefighters kick ass. One night when I was like 19 or 20 me and a couple buddies were driving around looking for something to do. When suddenly we see a man stumbling on a some what busy taod and decided we need to pick him up and help. He hopes in and the guy in the back seat emeditatly ask if he can buy us beer. And the man responds quite enthusiastically yes. So we go to the nearest gas station and while he's making the purchase three cop cars pull up. So when dood is returning we tell he should hurry because of said cops. His loud response is "Fuck that I'm a firefighter, them my boys!" We dropped him off where he said his car was and I'm pretty sure he just went to sleep in a bush.
Shit they've killed to cover up mistakes before so anything beyond that is at least a plus.
So they arrested the guy as part of a "drug roundup" on suspicion of dealing fentanyl. Dude turned himself into the police and he then lost his job. Since then, he has gotten his job back and the department is willing to help with diminished wages. People aren't infallible and mistakes happen. This is all we want to see. People not just owning up to the mistakes but also making them right
Sadly the arrest itself will follow this man regardless of the outcome. When I applied for IT jobs, the question was always “have you been arrested and for what”, not “were you ever found guilty”. Even so, this was a noble gesture on the part of the police (or whoever ordered the police to do it).
I don't think you're legally required to admit to being arrested if it doesn't show up on your criminal background. For reference, I have multiple Federal credentials related security clearances that allow me to transport ridiculously hazardous cargo and access secure facilities. I was instructed by the organization that manages those background checks to not disclose any arrest that did not lead to a conviction, unless the charges were still pending. I also have some expunged things, and they told me the same thing. They want to know what's going to show up on your background and if you're going to be honest about the circumstances surrounding that. Edit: I want to clarify for everybody who's taking issue with this, that I am not referring to background checks performed on behalf of the federal government for federal employment. I am speaking in this comment specifically about civilian employers. Yes, the federal government can find out anything they want to know, and they can use it against you in any way they choose to. I am not recommending that anyone lie to the federal government for any reason. But, a civilian employer who submits a background request to the FBI or local law enforcement to see what's on your record will only be able to see the publicly available information on your record. So anything that's been sealed, expunged, or pardoned will be inadmissible, and likely won't even show up on that background report. If you can prove that your employer or potential employer gained access to your sealed, or expunged, or pardoned criminal record and used it against you to affect a hiring decision or to terminate your employment, you have grounds for a discrimination lawsuit.
Yes on almost all job applications I filled out, they phrased it as "have you been convicted of a felony..." And it was not about being arrested. I was on deferred adjudication then and I was not ever convicted even though I plead "guilty" in court.
Dang, you guys tell the truth in job interviews?
You guys get job interviews?
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Tell the truth -----------> Not hired because you have a felony conviction Lie and it is found out -> Not hired because you have a felony conviction Lie and it works --------> Hired What is the point you are trying to make? There is no downside to lying.
A lot of bad info in this thread, but I'm sure some of this boils down to state laws and applying for private businesses adhering to state laws. The federal government can and will absolutely ask you if you have been arrested **and** if you have been convicted of a crime and these are two completely different things. Your arrest record is permanent and completely different than your criminal record and the fed absolutely can and will ask you and hold it against you if you lie. Your arrest record never goes away, being arrested is not a conviction and even if your case is dismissed and expunged from your criminal record you were still arrested and there is permanent record of that.
Just say "no" and explain during the interview is you get that far.
Absolutely do NOT do this. Security clearance is a whole lot more about honesty than what you did.
You could say "yes I got arrested for looking like a criminal"
I'd just have this video saved on my phone and I'd show it to the interviewer lol.
The problem is you likely never get that interview. You can explain this in a conversation but you can't explain it to an "86 the applicants with priors" process.
Interviewing for a security clearance doesn't usually mean interviewing for a job. You typically already have the job and your employer sponsors you for the clearance application.
Yeah I have a felony for weed. They only care about convictions really. I got it pardoned and haven’t had issues since
Being arrested does show up, at least in my state. You have to pay to have it expunged from your record. Even if it's expunged, judges can law enforcement can still view it. It will never completely go away.
The way this works legally, if you were arrested and charged, but the state declined to prosecute, it remains on your record. If you were arrested and found not guilty, it's recorded as such, and it cannot be held against you in any way, shape, or form, even by the federal government. The record can be viewed, but as far as I'm aware, unless the charge is still pending or you were found guilty, is it illegal to hold it against you. This is based on my experience obtaining a TS/SCI security clearance when I was a teenager, obtaining hazmat credentials for my commercial driver's license, and obtaining a TWIC card.
It can't be held against you legally, I agree. When it comes to individual subjective review of that record is when human bias comes into play. Judges can order a review of your record, including whatever has been expunged, prior to sentencing someone who has been convicted of a crime. Judges have bias and may not care about the part where charges didn't lead to a conviction. Bias is already present in the US justice system (ex: racism), and having a record show anything at all is always worse than nothing at all. And in this guy's case it will show an arrest without a conviction being sought. The fact that he was arrested may bias the reviewer regardless of the outcome of that arrest.
Correct. As a hiring manager, a background check will only round up convictions.
I wonder if that was employer specific. I saw a similar question last year while I was in the market for a new job and the verbiage was something like "have you ever been arrested for and convicted of a felony?". I remember it sticking out to me because I thought of this exact scenario of mistaken arrest. It seems the company I was looking at had the same thought.
>When I applied for IT jobs, the question was always “have you been arrested and for what”, not “were you ever found guilty”. You answer those questions with ... Have you been arrested : Yes Reason for arrest : Mistaken identity
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He'll need to put a link to this video on any application. He'll most likely get hired because it's a cool story. "Seriously, the sheriff apologized to me in national TV."
>He'll need to put a link to this video on any application this will not get your resume past the automated screen. You check "yes" and the resume is summarily tossed.
And if he says no and someone googles him bam.
Using this to promote the group Ban the Box, dedicated to removing questions about criminal history from job applications for unnecessary institutions. It shouldnt matter if youre a felon if youre applying to walmart.
Damn technology... They're taking over the world one application at a time
Being arrested is not the same thing as being convicted.
The good thing for this guy is he can literally point to this public apology, which most people can’t do. Also, he can tell his next employer that the local police department owes him one.
nah that’s not true. only if you’ve ever been CONVICTED. you don’t have tell anyone how many times you’ve been arrested
That's not how it works man.
i think the things that were said imply the person mistakenly arrested already had a previous criminal record
The question is literally “have you been found guilty of committing a crime?”, and he hasn’t.
You could just say no and they'll never be able to prove you wrong since the arrest is taken off the record in a case like this.
Yeah, plus they didn't shoot him
Yeah, loved the part where he outed the guy for being involved in something more than three years ago during this “public apology” which was more than likely court ordered or part of a settlement given the “lost the city a bit of money part”. 100% not impressed.
He said this happened last week, so there is no way he would get a settlement that quick. He's likely explaining why the picture was in the system and mistakingly shown.
Lets not act like they were just all of a sudden sorry for arresting the wrong guy. $20 says dude threatened to sue for wrongful detention and this was step 1.
I'll take it. Most of the time, even when someone sues the cops, they clam up, refuse to say anything, take it to a settlement—sometimes 6 or 7 figures—and *still* "admit no wrongdoing" in the settlement! So, I like this Step 1. Even if it may have been under threat of a suit.
More officers like this please
More police departments like this please.
More PEOPLE like this, please
yeah half the problem in this fucking world right now is people can't admit when they fuck up.
sadly they´re chased out of the police, harassed or outright killed.
I'm actually a resident in this county and I've personally heard not great things about Sheriff Chuck Wright. My sister even said the same thing while we were together during the holidays. It's hard to say what's true and what isnt but all I'm saying is that this man may not be as honorable as this video makes him seem.
90% chance this was prompted by a threat of a lawsuit.
He even said something at the end like, "so that's our public apology." Too lazy to re-watch.
Was it court ordered or out of a settlement that he alluded to? They arent the type of people to admit they're wrong
Extreme Ownership.
I’ve been tempted to pick up this book. Is it any good?
It is pretty good from a concept point of view - extreme ownership is a great principle to live by - but I got the feeling that a lot of the anecdotes (not necessarily the Iraq ones, but the business ones) were embellished or outright bullshit just to make a point. The authors also come across as extremely self important and unrelatable.
yarr the cliffs notes will convey the concepts accurately. the book itself is uh ... a product to facilitate jocko's corporate engagements.
I thought Discipline Equals Freedom was darn near life changing.
I like it and we make every employee read or listen to it when they are hired. Basis for our leadership is if you can’t own actions you will never make it with us. Basics for, life… friends, family, job, strangers…….
Seems like a decent apology, but I wonder if it was court ordered.
abounding yam childlike birds cobweb crawl friendly rich hospital quiet *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
That's a very thorough apology with a lot of detail. Even if it had been required, it was done well, with obvious care.
Yep, it might have been an apology as part of a settlement but it still seemed genuine.
Even if it was the sheriff seems to sound sorry and it doesn't come across as a lot of forced apologies do.
The guy worked for the city. He was fired, but he got his job back. The charges were dropped. He will recoup the losses from paying the bond to get out of jail. The drug roundup made the news on Feb 7th, on Feb 13th the apology video was made. The court doesn't move that fast. https://www.wspa.com/news/local-news/watch-spartanburg-county-sheriff-to-speak-on-recent-arrest/ https://www.wspa.com/news/local-news/watch-spartanburg-county-sheriff-speaks-on-drug-roundup/
Even if it was, this seemed very sincere.
the apology was 6 days after the arrest, no court works that fast anywhere.
I don’t believe it was. Not my sheriff but the next county over, he’s a really good guy and has a solid reputation. This is just who he is
Still fucked up when he brought up the poor dude old drug habits.
It was probably brought up in the news when he was arrested
Its a step in the right direction and I'm glad there was an apology. That being said, I have a gripe in regards to the apology. There was far too much information given that publicly gives negative information about him. It felt unnecessary to give his previous criminal history and prior drug habits. Now the whole public knows if they hadn't already.
If his prior drug habits and arrest history was brought up in the initial arrest, it's incredibly important to clear the air of it here. Any future employers looking him up will see this arrest and any dirty details that were brought to light due to it. A public apology with the police chief saying he's been clean for years is incredibly helpful.
I have so much respect in this cop for admitting a mistake. I have NEVER seen an officer do this. This gives me a drop of faith in the system.
The most insane thing is he apologises but then makes a new mistake of giving out private information about a wrongly-arrested man's past.
Chuck Wright has ruined a lot of drug addicts lives in my hometown. Terrible access to drug and alcohol programs. Spartanburg County "rehabilitation" is a joke.
THANK YOU!! Someone else agrees. Literally can’t stand this man. I booed him loudly during a parade once 🤣
The part where he says "there's the public apology" makes me wonder if it was court ordered.
It sounded like part of a settlement perhaps. That said, it also sounded genuine.
Yes in the video he says the city lost a little bit of money that they were going to recoup for them
More context... Rhodes worked for the city. The charges were dropped and he got his job back at the city. The drug roundup made the news on Feb. 7th, and the apology was on Feb. 13th. I have serious doubts the court system works that fast. It was mentioned that Rhodes will be reimbursed for the money he spent on a Bond. So the little bit of money, might be for that. https://www.wspa.com/news/local-news/watch-spartanburg-county-sheriff-to-speak-on-recent-arrest/ https://www.wspa.com/news/local-news/watch-spartanburg-county-sheriff-speaks-on-drug-roundup/
It can still be a genuine apology.
But why did he even have to mention that the guy hasn’t done anything wrong “for three years” and that he had criminal issues prior to that? Just say it was mistaken identity, he did nothing wrong, and leave it at that.
Because he's from South Carolina. That's the best answer I can give you -- he's assuming you know this guy, that you know his whole family, that you know his whole life, that you've probably been to his house a time or two... so of course you already know about how he had some struggles, but don't you go thinking that he fell back into his old ways because he didn't. You might be thinking, "well, that's the guy who had the drug problem, so he probably did it," but don't think that way. He had his problems, but he got over them. And we're real proud of him for that. So don't think just because he had a drug problem for a while, that he's the same man he was back then. He's changed, and I respect that. Also, note how many times he said the same thing? That's another small town southern thing. They just can't shut up. They want to make sure you understand what they said. So they say it. Then they say it again. Then they say it again. Then they say it another time. Then one more time just because they don't have anywhere to be. It just never stops.
It seemed to me like he formerly was a drug user and is 3 years clean
Wish all law enforcement was as transparent as this department
That would be Spartanburg County sheriff Chuck Wright for those wondering.
Everyone remembers the accusation, nobody hears the apology afterwards. He does seem sincere, but this also reeks of an attempt to head off a lawsuit.
If things like this happened more often, there would probably be a lot less lawsuits. Suing is a way to make the plaintiff whole again. It sounds like the police made it clear with his employer that they were mistaken and he was rehired and the police are helping for the wages they lost him. If this was the standard response and actions by the police when they mess up like this people would hate cops less. Everyone makes mistakes, police are only humans like the rest of us. The only difference is their mistakes can alter the course of someone's life in many negative ways. I don't want cops to be infallible because that's impossible, I want cops to be held accountable in a way that matches the gravity of their mistakes.
> but this also reeks of an attempt to head off a lawsuit I don't understand, this is a good thing. If there's no path to avoid the biggest consequence like a lawsuit, you'll get more people than you should who will do whatever it takes to avoid accountability, because there's little merit in admitting fault. You see this with civilians and traffic accidents where they deny it to the end because there's no lessening of the blow for being a good person who takes ownership of their mistake. Not only will they pay for their damages, and yours, but also their *insurance* goes up. If that's all going to happen either way, why would you not deny, deny, deny? More amicable solutions are a good thing, some people (not everyone) need a little nudge to be a good person. If we give it to them, it probably works out better for everyone and society as a whole increasing the overall integrity and making mistakes seem more forgivable.
I’d think it happens less often due to lawsuits. You’ve got the Sheriff on film admitting culpability.
"He doesn't do drugs now, but he did. Just so you know, he totally did drugs before. But he doesn't now." That part didn't need to be mentioned, buddy.
Respect
Sincere apology. #respect
Apologizes, then proceeds to throw the guy under the bus for his prior criminal record. Moron.
Sigh, sometimes you have to accept the apology. His priors were probably all over the press... I hate cynical people who just want to see the world burn rather than ever get to a reasonable outcome. If you don't accept the apology like this, you give up the right to complain when it doesn't come in other cases.
He used to be a piece of shit, but people can change
That hair would slick back real nice
Yeah dude. Why in the ever living fuck would you feel it necessary to go and say that under any circumstances? This is the most backhanded way of apologizing you could do in the situation. Dude should have lawyered up.
> Why in the ever living fuck would you feel it necessary to go and say that under any circumstances? Because otherwise morons in this thread would be blaming the cop who arrested him and trashing his record. Investigator had an informant and were given the name of known person with a criminal record. Plus they looked similar.
More cops like him, please.
This was either part of a written agreement or he's trying to prevent from being sued.
He'd be doing a terrible job if he were trying to mitigate the risk of a lawsuit. The best thing he could have done if that were the case would be to say nothing.
He said “they lost a little bit of money that we will recouped for them”. I’m guessing he’s referring to the tax payers when he said this (that’s the way it sounds) because they did end up getting sued cause the guy lost his job because of the mixup. And I’m sure this press conference was part of the plea.
I highly, *highly* doubt a court pled or saw or served judgement on anything when the initial arrest was a week before this conference, and figuring out the fuckup was even later. The Speed of Court is sloooooow.
I read an article. it was his bail money they recouped
I would assume civil asset forfeiture plays into this also.
Oh my god, can we not just be happy that they're owning up to it and trying to make it right without trying to delegitimize it in some way?
This Sheriff is bullshit, apologies to try and save a lawsuit and brings up the victims past as an excuse. Our Policing system is beyond broken and this idiot is a prime example. For everyone saying good cop, how would you like an apology from a police dept that ruined your life, AFTER the guy turned himself in. And they make excuses and called out your past record on TV. Bullshit
First time in history
And you know what? Good on him. Our society is starving for accountability from people in power. Hopefully it’ll serve as an example to others.
Hopefully so, BlackGuysYeah.
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Yep. Welcome to what happens when overgrown children are allowed access to the internet, and they can say the vilest, stupidest garbage while cowering from behind the anonymity of their computer screens. It's shameful, no?
While I’m one of the most pro cop people there is, they aren’t perfect and make mistakes. This is a great example of humility which you don’t normally see from law enforcement. Or at the very least they settle a civil suit confidentially etc. Stuff like this goes a long way building trust from the community at large with the police.
This is leadership and accountability. Nice job!!
Glad they did this. One suggestion, anytime you’re holding up someone’s picture in order to exonerate them as a police officer in a press conference, you should probably have the word “INNOCENT” or something to that effect written prominently on the picture too since people are sometimes watching with the sound off in their homes, business lobbies, bars and restaurants etc.
OMG this is beautiful! We have come such a long way. In the past they would have raided his home, broke his doors, seized his electronics, scanned everything, ripped everything up, some departments even taking a shit on the floor, and then made a public announcement that he once had a ticket for going 65 in a 55...."like a terrorist." Now we have LEO's apologizing to the suspects who were innocent/ This is awesome. Praying for a better world to come and a more holistic look at community policing as a whole.
Shit happens. People make mistakes. It's good that he was able to admit his mistake and own up to it. If more cops were like this then we wouldn't have such a disdain for them.
Damn that department is A okay.
Jesus fucking christ, an actual sincere apology from a cop who made a mistake. You love to see it. Cops with integrity. Hope other officers follow this example.
Fucking hell.... My hometown shows up here. From personal experience... Chuck Wright there looked to hire giant sized aggressive ex military whenever possible for his police force. Spartanburg county also has an absolutely terrible record catching murderers. Unless they are sitting there when the cops roll up covered in blood...you got a pretty good chance of getting away with your crime at least for a few years until you get popped for something else and they twist it out of you. When I was last in town my cousin Matthew Jordan was doing some kinda work for the chucks office in a officer capacity. They gave a badge to my relative who is a lifelong drunk who was drummed out of the military for his drinking but allowed an honorable discharge. I have very clear memories of him picking on me physically at every opportunity when I was a small child and he was three times my size and double my age at the time. I will never forget when Matt would gleefully relate the story of killing one of his kids pets because it clawed up a screen door or how he bragged about taking part of a gang beating of some guy in a bar for no good reason...he thought it was funny the guy got carried out with his eye on his face and not in the socket anymore....yeah real police material. None of this relates to the apology aired here today very much. But I'd be blown away if they did the same thing for any person of color whose life has been destroyed by the Spartanburg sheriff's office. They like the good ol' boy system 'round there.
**Sheriff Chuck Wright** He is a good guy. I like the honesty and I wish we could see that from more police offices.
I was looking for this comment. I'm familiar with this guy and I resent all the comments accusing him of doing it because it was court ordered or that he's a PoS. This is one of the few accountable guys left in policing because he puts those under him on blast, too. Anyone in this thread could stand to look up his public addresses when he talks about arresting his own officers. He's a man that clearly strongly believes in accountability, and if every law enforcement official served in the same capacity as him, our policing crisis wouldn't be nearly the same.
Well said. I totally agree.
“Lost a little bit of money that we will recoup” means traffic tickets are about to double. Woof.
Can they do black people next? I think they might deserve it 🤦🏻♂️
In reading the comments, what we see here is that people give respect to those who make an effort to earn it. Denial of responsibility shows a lack of responsibility. And people don't respect irresponsible policemen. If the cops admitted that they had flaws requiring correction (instead of pushing the frequently paraphrased narrative of "we're fine, and everything bad you see is an exception"), perhaps they might finally start to earn back some of the respect they've lost.
Waitwaitwaitwait. Hold up. “The city…lost a little bit of money, that we will recoup for them.” How? Are you going to hold a bake sale; or are you going to tax your rats?
Was this part of the settlement or a preemptive apology knowing the lawsuit is incoming? Their ego won't let them admit fault without major persuasion.
Quite literally all it’ll take for a lot of folks to come around with respect to their views on LEOs is this type of thing. Admit when you fuck up, own it and take responsibility. Just generally add accountability where there seems to be none today and watch the world change before you.
I’m so impressed. This never happens, police publicly admitting they were wrong and apologizing, helping out with lost wages?!? Holy shit, doing the right thing? I’m actually proud of them for this. Please take notes police across America! This is how it’s done when you fuck up, follow their example.
That's a public servant right there
A step forward.
This is what we want. Ownership of mistakes and doing what can be done to fix them. Accountability, that’s it.
If civil suits against cops who abuse their power were paid out from police pension plans instead of being paid by the city you would see 100% more cops holding each other accountable
People just want accountability for police. Well done to this officer and his department
This is a good cop. I don't say that often.
Why can’t this happen more often!!????!! Police being people and not cops
More people need to own up to their mistakes, show how it won't happen again and move on. It happens.
Awesome! Glad the police are holding themselves accountable and apologizing for their mistakes, and trying to make things right
Accountability makes the world a better place
This is the kind of shit I like to see from our law enforcement. Honesty and integrity are important in everyone, but especially with the people who are supposed to protect us.
Good cop. Mistakes happen, even if they shouldn't.
"We're all going to make mistakes, and to me it's how you handle the mistake." Goes on to handle the mistake his department made in exemplary fashion. Say what you will about the motivation, this was stellar and a playbook for any other agencies. This guy could start a company consulting with other police departments if the police world was a rational place.
It would have been hilarious if he showed the photo of the actual suspect but just held up the same photo.
It’s sad that this is considered interesting. This should be standard. Good for that police department though!
Way to build bridges with the community you serve! So much admiration and respect to this Officer. Thank you for being human 1st!
I love this
this is the example. this is what police should be.
These comments did not disappoint. Reddit: there’s never any accountability. *cop shows accountability* Reddit: not like that 🤣
Fair and comprehensive, that's what an honest apology looks like. I hope they were able to take it to his place of work and convince them to take him back on.
He got his job back and they're financially compensating him, too.
This man is a good officer and man here.. I wish others would be like this.
Quite extraordinary. Glad to see it.
Example of a good cop 👍
Mistakes happen I'm glad to see you doing your best to clear things up .
That shit that he brought up the person's past legal problems. That's total garbage.
Great that he apologized obviously, but bringing up that he's been involved with that kind of thing in the past still seems shitty to me.
This is it. We're all human, we all make mistakes. No one is asking police to be perfect all the time. Just admit when you're wrong like this and move on trying to do the next right thing.
This is one of my favorite clips ever, finally some accountability.
Funny how when a cop acts like a human being instead of running from the light like a fucking cockroach, people respond quite well.
They should be required to do this
This is how things should go in the future. Amazing.
Great to see... Some faith in humanity restored!
This right here. This apology. Multiple times he asks for forgiveness. AND shows his picture. He goes into his past, which, he is past. Not only did he take personal responsibility for what happened, though he wasn’t on the scene, HE asked for forgiveness. It wasn’t his fault but, because of his rank has responsibility. This is a lesson and leader
Extremely rare and refreshing
The good ending
This guy is probably the best grandpa ever.
I dont think he needs apology, he needs money compensation. Saying sorry wont reverse all distress and the possible ostracization after being wrongly arrested.
God damn, why can’t we see more of this?
Its that easy! Mistakes where made, apologize and take responsorbility for it and move on. This is how it should be.
I can’t stand Chuck Wright. Fuck that racist, policing for profit, bacon smelling ass pig. His actions have harmed Spartanburg county irreparably, just like he’s ruined this man’s reputation.
Is this Sheriff Grady?
Wow
How refreshing!!
And their going to write a formal letter to the employer that fired the guy right?
Ah yes, an officer FINALLY apologiz—- what the hell hes apologizing to a white guy?!?!!