JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – St. Johns County Sheriff David Shoar took to YouTube Friday afternoon to comment on the Dallas police shooting.
Shoar began by sharing a law enforcement tradition that is upheld in the midst of tragedy in the line of duty.
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He said they wear a dark blue or black mourning shroud over the star or badge on their chest.
The mourning shroud is symbolic and represents the collective sadness of the profession. It is meant to demonstrate the shared unity of purpose for the men and women who wear the uniform.
"As I awoke this morning after watching coverage last night of what occurred in Dallas, it struck me that I was going to change something at the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office," Shoar said. "We're not going to wear a dark blue or a black mourning shroud. We're going to wear a red shroud."
Shoar said he and his colleagues are beyond sad. They are mad and angry.
He said he was not surprised by what happened in Dallas because he expected it.
People from law enforcement that Shoar has talked to are mad because this should never be accepted or expected.
"When you have leaders in this country, I don't care if it's at the national level, I don't care if it's at the state level, I don't care if it's at the local level, when you have irresponsible leaders shout rhetoric and shout statistics and come up with conclusions before they have any information, before any investigations have been done, how terrible is that?" Shoar said.
Shoar said national leaders will come to the scenes of something like this and within 24 hours portray the police as the bad people or racists and after investigation the police did nothing wrong.
"Leaders are supposed to stand up and take the high road. Do the investigation. Hold people accountable. That's not what is happening here in America," Shoar said.
Sheriff Shoar brought up how technology is a big factor in stirring up the animosity.
Children were at the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office Friday morning bringing food and drawings to the officers.
Shoar shared some food for thought when he posed the question about what would happen if all law enforcement took one day off.
He believes in the well-being of St. Johns County, but feared what would become of other communities around the country.
Shoar said at the end of the day, law enforcement will come into work like the rest of us and try to do the right things for the right reasons.
"We work right alongside of our deputy sheriffs. We don't care what color they are. We don't care about what their sexual orientation is. We all bleed red," Shoar said.
Colleagues were concerned about Shoar sharing his commentary video while being in the middle of an election.
Shoar said he did not care if it was controversial because it's not about the politics.
"We've got to put political expediency to the side. This has got nothing to do with Republican, Democrat, Trump, Clinton and all the rest; this is about civilization," Shoar said.
Shoar concluded his commentary video by saying the media does not need to ask for his comments because he said all he needed to say in the video.