On March 15 Deputy Eric Woods was injured at the McHenry County Sheriff's Department shooting range. The first news article to appear in the Northwest Herald about the accident, not published until March 28, described Woods' injuries as similar to "road rash", according to Sheriff Nygren.
His leg wound, caused by bullet fragmentation ricocheting off a metal target only about two feet from where Woods was standing, was described to me on March 17 as a "gusher". Woods may have returned briefly to work the next door but is reportedly off work now.
Dep. Morrow wrote the major report of Woods' injury on the standard departmental Incident Report form. The normal procedure is for other deputies to write Supplemental Incident Reports; however, in this case the corrections officers who were present as observers and the SWAT team members of the team that was participating with Woods all wrote "Departmental Correspondence" reports.
I was curious about the missing reports of Deputy Woods, Sgt. Embry and Lt. Miller and requested these on April 6th. I tried to cover all the bases by requesting "Documents including, but not limited to, reports, statements, correspondence reports and intra-departmental memoranda that were written by (only) Lt. Miller, Sgt. Embry and Deputy Woods..." I also requested documentation of the number of rounds fired during that exercise.
I have always been pleased with the speedy service of the MCSD FOIA Officer and today I received her response.
- The Sheriff's Department has no documents by Lt. Miller, Sgt. Embry or Deputy Woods.
- The Department has no documentation of the number of rounds fired by that team.
Now, let me say that I believe the FOIA Officer.
At the same time I cannot believe that there are no reports from Lt. Miller (the ranking officer present at the range at the time of the shooting), Sgt. Embry (the ranking deputy on the SWAT team in the room at the time when Woods was injured) or Dep. Woods (the injured deputy). And I find it very hard to believe that the incident investigator did not count the total number of shots fired in the room.
Although the FOIA Response did not disclose the appeal process, I know it to be to file an appeal with the head of the organization. And so I'll play the next hand in the game and file an appeal of the FOIA Officer's response with Sheriff Nygren.
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7 comments:
And what are you to get out of this? Are u "representing" Wood's? Just what good is to come of you constantly "requesting" docs? What is your goal? Your purpose?
TMB, good questions. I'm trying to get the whole, unvarnished truth out to the public.
No, I don't "represent" Woods. I don't even know him. I understand he's a good guy and wants to do well in a career in law enforcement.
The best way for his career to progress is for him to write a full, honest, accurate, detailed report of everything about that day; ex., what, if anything, he was told to do as he entered the room; what he was to expect; how close to him rounds would be fired at targets that were how close to him.
It is impossible that Miller, Embry and Woods have not been asked, directed or expected to write reports.
I can understand that Woods' report might have been delayed while he was receiving initial treatment. But reports from Lt. Miller and Sgt. Embry? Same day or next day. Period.
I can only imagine what a pain it must be for the staff at the sheriffs department to stop what they are doing and answer each of your ridiculous foia requests.You complain about a waste of taxpayer money,is that not exactly what you are doing Gus. What a terrible waste of everyones time time. And you want to be Sheriff. You lost my vote with all your phony conspiracy theories over the past year. You really have turned into a pathetic, vindictive loser
Hey, joe. Thanks for the endorsement.
I appreciate your support of the good job I am doing to pry information out of MCSD that it ought to be coughing up without a struggle.
Aw, gee. You're not going to vote for me? Is that supposed to hurt my feelings?
I think you ask good questions, Gus. I'd rather have questions asked than to have everybody just accept what's going on (anywhere) as "just fine" for the status quo.
Gus - these are good questions. A real sheriff would have already addressed this problem seriously and not with his flip "road rash" comment. But maybe the guy who is currently milking the taxpayers like so many Holsteins is out of town... surprise, surprise.
Whitmore2 and Amos, many thanks. I appreciate your comments.
The truth is slowing leaking out.
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