Sheriff Patterson and county officials in charge of oversight of the county’s assets are hereby notified that there are allegations being made by some that one of the Sheriff’s top people, Captain Guthrie, wrecked a county vehicle while in Padre Island under tawdry circumstances. Guthrie and others were there allegedly attending a law enforcement continuing education class in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Allegations like this may simply be rumors or a misunderstanding of the facts, but when concerns like these reach a certain level, taxpayers deserve those who oversee the county assets (the commissioners) take an official look into the matter and into Sheriff Patterson’s actions. Silence from public officials benefits no one.
The vehicle that is said to have been wrecked is the county dually Ford truck that was used to pull a trailer and haul stray livestock during former Sheriff Greg Arthur’s administration. Sheriff Patterson shut that operation down and farmed that work out to friends of his with the idea that it could save the county money. The status of the truck is what is now in question. If it is true the truck still is a county asset and that Louis Taylor Guthrie, one of the people Patterson imported to fill a leadership role in the LCSO, wrecked it, then where was he when it was wrecked and was he there on county business? There are allegations of a wrecked truck after a night of heavy drinking and a visit to a topless bar in Padre Island. There and are even allegations that one of the (Hispanic) women involved in their escapades says she was forced to perform sexual acts beyond her will. All culminating with attorneys from Corpus noticing Liberty County of lawsuit/s. What really happened?
If the allegations prove to be true, then questions about Patterson covering the matter up should follow since the approximate four months since it happened. If a cover up has occurred, then we are left wondering what else Sheriff Henry Patterson is covering up.
Because history tells us that matters like this in Liberty County seem to result in every official sitting around doing nothing, we will lay out how easily this is handled by good honest politicians. Patterson and/or Guthrie can simply report the circumstances concerning the vehicle, spending receipts along with their whereabouts in Corpus Christi and Padre Island and that no county policies have been violated. The commissioners’ court and/or County Attorney Wes Hinch can verify that the vehicle has not been wrecked or that it was wrecked in Liberty County or else ware and that Guthrie was in the county’s dually on county business that far from here.
In anticipation of Patterson’s re-election… his investigation team inviting us all to breakfast in Cleveland if we want to visit with the Sheriff, Liberty Dispatch and the rest of the public appreciate the invitation, but we respectfully decline and would like our Sheriff to start communicating more effectively with those of us who actually live here and pay taxes.
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