From The Creator of Area Dispatch:
See the evidence that exhibits Howell’s criminality used to cover and conceal his blind rage episodes. I recall the intensity of his anger when he first approached my vehicle during his unlawful stop and when I was released with only a citation outside of the jail. I hadn’t done anything to this guy to warrant any anger towards me. I understand now that this is his personality and the demeanor normally shown towards others.
In my opinion, he is not a decent or trustworthy person. I will work to show everyone in Anson County or reading these webpages why they should not depend on Howell to lead the Sheriff’s Office personnel in enforcing the law fairly, respectfully, effectively, equally, and with integrity. I chose to leave out compassion because that is a quality I don’t believe Howell is capable. How many in this county have ever heard him speak?
No one has heard his positions or the thought processes that are currently in the position of lead law enforcement officer of Anson County. These pages will hopefully help anyone viewing them to understand the mentality Howell possesses and comprehend the true risk of that mentality being imitated by one or more of his deputies. Howell should not be in law enforcement, and he should be in prison if the State of North Carolina truly honors its commitment to the rule of law.
Notice anything peculiar above?
- “The whole point was they used excessive force when he was already restrained,”
- “I think my brother’s rights were violated. You can’t beat people when they’re handcuffed. This is America.”
- “….his brother suffered multiple injuries – cracked ribs, cuts and bruises on his body and face, a damaged eye and swollen neck.”
- “James Hammonds’ complaint includes statements from at least a dozen people who witnessed the arrest”
- “According to the citation, Hammonds blew .07 on a breath test. The legal limit in North Carolina is .08.”
- “Y’all stupid Indians shouldn’t have called us if you didn’t want our help”
- “We sent Mr. Hammonds up there to Duke to see a specialist and now we’re treating him based on that recommendation”
Did you vote for the current sheriff of anson county?
NO, not one single vote was cast for Howell in an election.
§ 162‑2. Disqualifications for the office.
(a) No person shall be eligible for the office of sheriff who is if any of the following apply:
(1) The person is not of the age of 21 years, years.
(2) The person has been convicted of a felony in this State, the United States, or any other state, whether or not that person has been restored to the rights of citizenship or granted an expunction. This subdivision shall not include an unconditional pardon of innocence.
(3) The person is not a qualified voter in the county in which he the candidate is chosen.
(b) Notwithstanding Article 5 of Chapter 15A of the General Statutes, any person filing a notice of candidacy, or any appointee selected to fill a vacancy, to the office of sheriff shall provide a statement of disclosure prepared by the North Carolina Sheriffs’ Education and Training Standards Commission in accordance with Article 3 of Chapter 17E of the General Statutes. (We presume this has been done.)
(c) No person shall engage in the practice of law or serve as a member of the General Assembly while serving as sheriff.
Does Sheriff Howell meet the qualifications to be the Sheriff of Anson County, or will his past disqualify him from this office?
– Recent changes to the qualifications of North Carolina Sheriffs have worked to Howell’s favor.
– Records from his time as Chief Deputy show his Stanly County address being the primary mailing address for mail from outside of Anson County. It is my understanding that the property owned in Anson County was owned prior to him being transferred from Anson County to Robeson County, some years ago. There are reports that the incident leading to this transfer was similar in nature to mine and reportedly others. The NC Dept. of Public Safety has denied our first and second public records requests, but there will be more and that truth will also find its way to daylight.
– The property that Howell has owned for some time has one noticeable change to the registered mailing address for it, Howell is now using a PO Box for this address. It appears Howell hasn’t owned the Stanly County ‘Lakehouse’ property since 2021.
– I recall an Anson County Board of Commissioners meeting that clarification was provided on if deputies living outside of the county could drive their county vehicles home each night. I distinctly remember the directive being clear that the deputies were not able to drive out of the county with their county vehicles. I’m curious if Howell honored this guidance during his time as Chief Deputy, or did that board of commissioners’ directive not apply to him like the other deputies?
– Area Dispatch is in possession of documentation that raises suspicions, and definitely clears the bar of probable cause of felonies committed by Anson County’s Current appointed Sheriff.
The capture of the photo above on February 11, 2015 was the single act that Howell testified was his reasonable suspicion. He turned right onto 74 directly behind me, and this is when I heard my plate number come across the scanner in my passenger seat. My tags were valid and there was no lawful reason to initiate a stop at this point… but as we’ll see from other events in Howell’s work history that Anson’s current Sheriff makes up his own laws.
A sign in front of an historic courthouse. My activities were undeniably and obviously constitutionally protected; I also affirmed my rights numerous times that day. It was like I had none.
I stopped in a parking lot that seemed in view of the public and appeared to have video surveillance directed towards my car. I immediately noticed that his walk up to my vehicle was more awkward than it should have been, he caught himself in several mistakes within just a few seconds. Howell had his hand on his holstered pistol as he walked up to my vehicle. What made it awkward was as he passed my taillights he initially reached with his right hand, then immediately corrected and placed that hand back on his pistol. Then reaching with his left hand he put his thumbprint on the taillight. I knew most of the Sheriff’s deputies because of my line of work at the time and I did not know who this was, it was also obvious that he hadn’t initiated a stop in a long time. I remember telling myself that I had to be very careful, especially with my pistol, as a CHP holder, and my rifle in the backseat. I still remember, like it was burned into my brain, the rank insignia on his collar as he got closer to my vehicle. It was a gold spread eagle. I will admit, that threw me for a second because I couldn’t think of the proper rank to address him. I went with ‘sir’ and asked how I could help him. He immediately asked for my license and registration, then asked, “Why are you taking pictures of my courthouse?”
I placed my pistol on the dash prior to stopping, and the rifle was in plain sight in the backseat. Even with everything in view, I still immediately notified him that I was a CHP holder. He seemed unconcerned with my permit and reached in to seize my pistol. I responded to his question that I had recently started a website, and I was collecting background images for the site. I also affirmed my right to photograph. Howell didn’t like my response, my door was opened, and I was told to get out of the vehicle. I asked the reason numerous times, and he did not respond to me then. He didn’t say another word to me for almost an hour on the side of 74. Howell did speak to a State Trooper that pulled up to assist, but that was only to have him leave because his vehicle was outfitted with a dashcam. I knew the deputies that arrived on-scene and I asked them to help because the situation was wrong in many different ways. They all said that they couldn’t do anything because he was the Chief Deputy.
SEE & HEAR
the
EVIDENCE
of
Sheriff David ‘Scott‘ Howell‘s
CORRUPT…
… Consequences of the Abuses of Power
In This Evolving Investigative Report!
Check Back For Updates With A Continuation of James Walters Bradford’s Story Of His Introduction To Howell. His Eye-Opening Experience Showed The Depths of Howell’s Corruption Then, And Now The Toxic Mentality Can Be Seen Throughout, At Least, The Anson County Sheriff’s Office. The People of Anson County Deserve To Know What Their County’s Lead Law Enforcement Officer Is Capable Of, And The People of North Carolina Should Know The Coverage Provided To This ‘Bad Apple’ By The State And Local Law Enforcement Agencies He’s Worked To Corrupt. Everyone Fully Knowledgeable Of Howell’s Prior Abuses Behind A Badge Have Allowed This Person With A Documented Violent, Racist, and Corrupt Record To Reach The Top Of Law Enforcement In Anson County and in the State of North Carolina.
All Without Ever Receiving A Single Vote In An Election From The People Of the County He Serves. The Circumstances Surrounding His Appointment Alone Should Raise Questions, And This Combined With the Obfuscation Of His Work History Behind A Badge Should Highlight The Risk and Injustice Of Howell Remaining In His Current Position.
Howell has acted in malicious and corrupt ways multiple times in his past, what reason do you have to believe it won’t happen again? What has changed? What repercussions has he faced in the past? Right now, he is the highest (un)elected official in Anson County.
No campaign, no debates, no platform, and only an increase in rank amassing power with a pay raise.
The Area Dispatch investigation into Howell‘s employment Records with the North Carolina Department Of Public Safety has been BLOCKED From Potentially Exposing his history of Corruption. There are known incidents and Associated Complaints, this is not just a possibility of relevant Records. NCDPS is preventing The Release of Public records Under North Carolina Law. The NC State Highway Patrol has Allowed a violent and corrupt Person to be In a Leadership Position with Law Enforcement. they’ve stood back and watched as he was Appointed to A Normally elected position. Out of NC’s 100 Counties, Anson is the only county currently with an appointed Sheriff.
Below covers what should be kept open to the pubic:
§ 126-23. Certain records to be kept by State agencies open to inspection.
(a) Each department, agency, institution, commission and bureau of the State shall maintain a record of each of its employees, showing the following information with respect to each such employee:
(1) Name.
(2) Age.
(3) Date of original employment or appointment to State service.
(4) The terms of any contract by which the employee is employed whether written or oral, past and current, to the extent that the agency has the written contract or a record of the oral contract in its possession.
(5) Current position.
(6) Title.
(7) Current salary.
(8) Date and amount of each increase or decrease in salary with that department, agency, institution, commission, or bureau.
(9) Date and type of each promotion, demotion, transfer, suspension, separation, or other change in position classification with that department, agency, institution, commission, or bureau.
(10) Date and general description of the reasons for each promotion with that department, agency, institution, commission, or bureau.
(11) Date and type of each dismissal, suspension, or demotion for disciplinary reasons taken by the department, agency, institution, commission, or bureau. If the disciplinary action was a dismissal, a copy of the written notice of the final decision of the head of the department setting forth the specific acts or omissions that are the basis of the dismissal.
(12) The office or station to which the employee is currently assigned.
(b) For the purposes of this section, the term “salary” includes pay, benefits, incentives, bonuses, and deferred and all other forms of compensation paid by the employing entity.
(c) Subject only to rules and regulations for the safekeeping of the records, adopted by the State Human Resources Commission, every person having custody of such records shall permit them to be inspected and examined and copies thereof made by any person during regular business hours. Except as provided in subsection (d) of this section, any person who is denied access to any such record for the purpose of inspecting, examining or copying the same shall have a right to compel compliance with the provisions of this section by application to a court of competent jurisdiction for a writ of mandamus or other appropriate relief.
(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, persons in the custody of, or under the supervision of, the Division of Prisons and persons in the custody of local confinement facilities are not entitled to access to the records made public under this section and are prohibited from obtaining those records, absent a court order authorizing access to, or custody, or possession.
(e) An attorney investigating allegations of unlawful misconduct or abuse by a Division of Prisons employee may request, and shall be provided with, information sufficient to identify the full name or names of the employee alleged to be involved in the misconduct or abuse in the current position of the employee within the Division; or, the last position held by the employee and the last date of employment by the Division. The attorney may not give the offender copies of departmental records or official documents absent a court order authorizing access to, or custody, or possession. (1975, c. 257, s. 1; c. 667, s. 2; 2007-508, s. 4; 2010-169, s. 18(a); 2011-145, s. 19.1(h); 2011-324, s. 1.1(b); 2013-382, s. 9.1(c); 2017-186, s. 2(ttttt); 2021-180, s. 19C.9(p).)
The Chronology of Events Is Not In Howell’s Favor
****First Posted: 1/15/2009****
“The whole point was they used excessive force when he was already restrained,” James Hammonds said. “I ain’t saying he’s innocent of a DWI … . I think my brother’s rights were violated. You can’t beat people when they’re handcuffed. This is America.”
“James Hammonds’ complaint includes statements from at least a dozen people who witnessed the arrest. Hammonds said his brother suffered multiple injuries – cracked ribs, cuts and bruises on his body and face, a damaged eye and swollen neck.“
“According to Vaughn Steele, the health administrator at the Robeson County jail, Hammonds was taken to an eye specialist after he was brought to the jail.
‘We sent Mr. Hammonds up there to Duke to see a specialist and now we’re treating him based on that recommendation,’ Steele said. ‘There were no noted internal injuries when he arrived at the jail.‘”
Mr. Hammonds was apparently transported to duke (trauma center) for injuries sustained in the beating
“According to the citation, Hammonds blew .07 on a breath test. The legal limit in North Carolina is .08. Hammonds refused to take the breath exam a second time and Hinson charged him with DWI. Clendenin said patrolmen typically test a motorist’s breath twice and Take the lower of the two tests. But he said a motorist doesn’t have to fail a sobriety test to be charged with a DWI.”
“The officer just has to form an opinion, just like in speeding violations.”
As with the creator of Area Dispatch’s experience, Howell seemed to prejudicially mis-profile James Hammonds, the brother of the victim in the article. Corrupt abuses of power meant to cause trouble for Hammonds and Bradford did not meet their intent due to the misjudgment by Howell, possibly based solely on appearance. As you can read in the article, Howell felt confident enough that he wouldn’t face reprimand for bringing race into a work situation. This confidence led to the cruel, racially targeted insult and a circumstance that wasn’t relevant to the situation described in the article. It’s obvious the intent of the comment was to insult the relatives of the handcuffed man the troopers were beating as “stupid Indians”.
With the Bradford incident, Howell was confident he would avoid repercussions from the false allegations broadcast to what the editor understands as every local, every state, and every federal law enforcement agency in the country using LiNX. It was explained that the LiNX system integration into the Sheriff’s Office Records Management System would be triggered using key terms. The system somehow interprets the level of threat and need for notice based on the terms used with the inputs into the Records Management System. With Howell’s false and potentially harmful (life-threatening) allegations, Bradford immediately hit the radar of the FBI and Dept. of Homeland Security with their Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF). These agents visited the editor’s home multiple times and eventually called to set a meeting for questioning. Friends of the editor in law enforcement relayed messages to him through others as a warning that everyone receiving the message was fearful and thought he was an ‘extremist.’ Basically, Bradford became what most during that time possessed a conditioned fear of.
FYI:
“A fascist is a follower of a political philosophy characterized by authoritarian views and a strong central government — and no tolerance for opposing opinions. Fascist traces to the Italian word fascio, meaning “group, bundle.” Under fascist rule, the emphasis is on the group — the nation — with few individual rights.“
See & Hear The Evidence Against Him!
To Provide The Context Of Time
Islamic Terrorism & ‘Bath Salts’ Filled The News For A Large Part Of 2015, Especially With The January Attacks In France.
Every citizen of Anson County should have the capability of knowing an accurate work history with government of the county’s lead law enforcement officer and highest ‘elected’ government official. All voters should know what he has done in the line of duty, and how it appears he has been able to avoid accountability for his actions throughout the time he has hidden behind a badge. This same avoidance of accountability has continued from his time with the North Carolina Highway Patrol and has shown to be persistent since near the start of his time with the Anson County Sheriff’s Office. Anson County deserves someone who will enforce the law with integrity and compassion, not violence and corruption.
Let’s See How The Anson County Sheriff’s Office Did In Comparison to the rest of the country’s Departments.
This looks a lot like revenue generating policing that is susceptible to discretionary enforcement based on race, given the statistics.
There shouldn’t be any complaints about manpower…
⬇️⬇️⬇️
The ‘Key Findings’ are where the most worrisome aspect is hiding.
