Brevard Sheriff Candidate Alton Edmond: Violence, Looting Sometimes a Necessary Evil

under scrutiny for controversial statements made in a June 7 Facebook post

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Brevard County candidate for sheriff Alton Edmond is under scrutiny for controversial statements he made in a June 7 Facebook post that has since been deleted.

Edmond, 30, announced his candidacy on June 9 to challenge Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey, who was first elected in 2012 and reelected uncontested in 2016.

Social media has been abuzz over the last several days when screenshots of the deleted posts were reposted Aug.1 on Kevin Miller’s Facebook page in which Edmond said violence and looting are sometimes a necessary evil.

In the subsequent comment thread, Edmond reiterated his stance to Sharon Burton saying, “I consider it a necessary evil (looting, rioting) because when it happened people began to listen when people were not listening before.”

THE COMPLETE POSTS CAN BE SEEN HERE:

 

Edmonds is currently a criminal defense attorney from Cocoa and is a former assistant public defender. According to Blaise Trettis, public defender for Brevard and Seminole counties in the 18th Judicial Circuit, Edmonds was fired in 2017 “for multiple acts of serious misconduct.”

Edmond, who has no law enforcement training or experience, confirmed to Space Coast Daily by e-mail on Tuesday that he is the author of the Facebook posts that have generated significant outcry on social media.

“While I do not support rioting, it is inevitable when peaceful protests are not heard,” said Edmonds.

Edmond’s public statements have attracted the attention of concerned citizens and Brevard law enforcement leaders Trettis and Ivey.

“Here’s the guy running for Brevard County Sheriff against Sheriff Ivey,” said Miller. “A local leader of the BLM scheme with no law enforcement experience who calls people opposed to riots racist KKK prospects and who supports riots and violence as a ‘necessary evil.’ ”

“The commentary on Facebook has been that Mr. Edmond posted these to his Facebook page right before he announced his candidacy for sheriff, but deleted them shortly after posting due to criticism that the posts received,” said Trettis.

“It is shocking that a candidate for Brevard County Sheriff says that violence and looting done for the sake of Black Lives Matter is a necessary evil.

“In Edmond’s second Facebook post, he is saying that a person should join the Klu Klux Klan if they have sympathy for innocent business owners who have had their business looted, damaged, or destroyed by rioters done in the wake of the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. It is hard to fathom that a person who believes these things is a candidate for Brevard County Sheriff,” said Trettis.

Edmond, if elected on Nov. 3, would be the lead law enforcement officer in Brevard County, a position that supervises, directs and manages more than 1,600 employees and volunteers.

Ivey said that Edmond’s own words claim to love the nationwide unrest, a position that would seem to conflict with the Constitutional Oath of Sheriff or any law enforcement officer.

“Plain and simple, no one claiming to be a community leader would ever encourage violence and looting as a necessary evil that jeopardizes the safety of our community and citizens,” said Ivey.

“Edmond knows the message and its intent is evil and wrong and that’s exactly why he deleted the posts from his personal page when he announced his candidacy for sheriff.

“To think that violence and looting are necessary in any capacity and then to publicly post such a divisive position is irresponsible and frightening And then to delete the post when he decided to run for public office clearly demonstrates he has no credibility or trustworthiness,” said Ivey.

Included in the responsibilities of the Brevard County Sheriff, who currently manages a $140 million budget, are the county jail, courthouse security, animal services as well as the Port Canaveral law enforcement and security. The Brevard County Sheriff’s salary is $163,000 a year.

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