Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Haywood County sheriff forum focuses on landfill shooting, body cameras and transparency
Summary
At a Smoky Mountain News forum in Waynesville, candidates for Haywood County sheriff clashed over transparency and leadership after a December landfill shooting now the subject of litigation; incumbent Bill Wilkie defended withholding details to protect due process while challengers urged swifter public disclosure and clearer communication.
Waynesville — Candidates for Haywood County sheriff traded sharp criticism and defenses Wednesday evening at a Smoky Mountain News forum about how the sheriff's office handled a December shooting at the county landfill that is now the subject of civil litigation.
Host Kyle Perotti asked each candidate how the office could reduce exposure to costly lawsuits. Republican challenger Mark Meese said the sheriff’s office should have 'came out immediately and talked about the situation' instead of waiting weeks until the matter surfaced on social media, adding that early, transparent communication…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
