My name is Donald McCune. I have been with the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department since 1992. Over the years, I've worked with some of the best police officers in the United States right here in Kosciusko County. We've stood shoulder to shoulder with officers from all the departments in this county, and always will.
I take issue with the way the sheriff’s department is being portrayed by a certain political candidate and a few other law enforcement officials of the county.
Unity is important to me. My loyalty to the citizens of this county is more than just a talking point on social media or a catchphrase of someone who wants to be sheriff. I have walked several of my friends to their graves in the name of defending citizens of this county. I can assure you that most all of the officers I work with, from this department and elsewhere, take that solemn duty seriously.
But we now have people putting a narrative forward that condemns an entire group of officers based on the opinion of one or two. For 10 months, we've heard politicians badmouthing us publicly, saying we're endangering the community, calling for a change in the office of sheriff, but never giving any specific examples. I can remember a presidential election where the candidate ran on the word "change" and nothing specific, and look what we got. It was not just poor leadership, it was no leadership.
I will speak for myself next and only myself: Cooperation is usually a good thing, but it is only good when everyone is cooperating toward a just end. There are, on occasion, times when an officer needs to exercise independence in order to fulfill his oath to protect the Constitution. I'll work with any officer from any department, but as soon as I believe they are violating someone's rights, I will not be a part of it. I will not violate any person's constitutional rights just to get a stat or my name in the paper. If that is what the citizens of Kosciusko County want, then I have no place here.
Let me conclude by recalling July 27, 2016, one of the worst days of my life. At approximately 6 p.m., I was confronted with a situation where I had to use lethal force. The sheriff at the time looked at the facts, and, even though he was embattled with his issues, publicly and privately stood by my side. I will forever appreciate his support, and I cannot say I had same support from all community leaders, some of whom opted to stay quiet until they got a sense of public opinion.
If you believe something is right, it doesn't matter what everyone else thinks. Right is right.
In this job, we have to know our administrators have our backs, and that they will think of us first, not votes. If a candidate will sell us out for an election, I will never believe they have my back.
