LYING Sheriff Attacks ME Over Viral Video Exposing ILLEGAL Arrest

Article

Last week, I posted a video about a wild police interaction in Taylor County, West Virginia. The incident began when police officers showed up at a man named Paul’s house without a warrant, sparked by a Facebook post he made. Paul was subsequently arrested, and the entire episode drew widespread attention online.

In the video, an officer tells Paul, “I could 100% write up a warrant for you,” without actually having one. The officer emphasizes his disappointment over comments Paul made on Facebook about an officer named Howard Fair, whom he apparently idolized. Despite Paul’s protests about his freedom of speech and not threatening anyone, the officer detained him. This action caused Paul to spend two days in jail, lose his job, and ultimately, the prosecutor had to drop the baseless charges.

Despite its rapid viewership, the video was demonetized four hours after its release due to inappropriate language—a homophobic slur in the background that I hadn't noticed. YouTube's reviewer identified this, which led to the demonetization. I chose to leave the video up despite losing monetization because it was gaining significant traction and attention.

The video soon made the front page of the local newspaper, The Mountain Statesman. The article quoted Sheriff Terry Austin, who argued the YouTube video was just a narrative framed by a lawyer (me) looking to make money and misleading the public. Sheriff Austin suggested that since YouTube demonetized the video, that action was proof of its misleading nature.

In response to the mounting public concern, the Taylor County Commission held a special meeting. Sheriff Austin claimed an internal investigation had thoroughly addressed the matter and that Paul, the victim, had requested that no disciplinary action be taken against the officers. However, contrary to these claims, Paul never received a response to his complaint from the Sheriff's Office, and an internal investigation's results were never communicated to him.

Austin also insinuated that the video was edited and cherry-picked to fit a specific narrative. He mentioned additional events and context that allegedly happened before and after the documented footage—claims for which he provided no details. To counter these accusations, I posted the full, unedited body cam footage on my blog for complete transparency.

The County Commission decided not to take any further disciplinary action against the officer, saying that the matter had been internally handled and required no more sanctions. However, they agreed to allocate up to $ 4,000 for additional law enforcement training, showing some effort to address the issues.

Sheriff Austin's response attacked both the messenger (me) and the victim (Paul). His defense included vague references to key elements allegedly missing from the footage, but he failed to specify any. This situation raises serious questions about the Sheriff's Department’s accountability and transparency.

Moving forward, I’ve received numerous tips and information about Sheriff Terry Austin that could warrant a follow-up investigation and video.

Feel free to watch the full, unedited body cam footage on my blog to judge for yourselves if the interaction was depicted fairly.

Keyword

Paul
Taylor County
West Virginia
Facebook Post
Warrant
Police Interaction
Body Cam Footage
Demonetized
Sheriff Terry Austin
Civil Rights Violation
County Commission

FAQ

Q: What initiated the police visit to Paul’s house?
A: A Facebook post made by Paul prompted the visit, as the police officer took issue with comments Paul made about another officer named Howard Fair.

Q: Why was the video demonetized?
A: The video was demonetized due to a homophobic slur that was softly heard in the background around 15 minutes and 28 seconds mark, which I had missed during editing.

Q: What was Sheriff Terry Austin’s defense regarding the video?
A: Sheriff Austin claimed the video was posted with an agenda against law enforcement and argued that its demonetization by YouTube was proof of its misleading nature.

Q: Did the County Commission take any disciplinary action against the officers involved?
A: No direct disciplinary action was taken. However, they agreed to provide funding for additional training for law enforcement officials in the county.

Q: Where can I view the full, unedited body cam footage?
A: The full, unedited body cam footage is available on my blog for complete transparency.