Reprinted with permission
from the Florida Sentinel
Bulletin
Vol. 58 No. 15 Pg.
4
MY POINT OF VIEW
By Iris B. Holton
This Is Going To Be Very Interesting
Under normal circumstances, the big-ticket news items
are saved for the weekdays. But this
past weekend, proved to be the exception to this rule.
On Friday, Fox 13 aired a story
that seemed more like something that happens in
If it were not for the fact that I know Detective Chip DeBlock of the Tampa Police Department is a
real person, I could have been convinced it was some late blooming April Fool’s joke. But it
wasn’t and the television station had the detective and some of the players on
tape.
It seems while doing what he is paid to do, Detective DeBlock allegedly busted a
prostitution shop that was allegedly masquerading as a massage parlor. Or so, the lawsuit against the Tampa Police
Department said.
Detective
DeBlock alleges that he did his
homework and compiled a report. He then
forwarded his findings to the head of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
The idea behind this was to launch an investigation
into the allegations of wrongdoing.
Well, he did receive an investigation – but he was the target, he
claims.
After filing the report, Detective DeBlock said he became the unlikely target of the Hillsborough County State
Attorney’s Office. A total of 21
complaints were filed with the Tampa Police Department’s Internal Affairs Bureau.
(The late Judge Harry Coe, III,
was the State Attorney at the time). But
according to the newscast, all of the complaints were unfounded.
Detective
DeBlock further said that his
investigation implicated the late Judge
Coe, a current sitting judge, the Mob, and several other folks whose names
or identities were not revealed.
However, the report gave the impression that the best is yet to come.
(The late Judge
Coe is alleged to have taken several thousand dollars to grant a lighter
sentence while sitting as an elected judge).
Now everyone expects some hanky panky downtown. The recent scandals involving some reigning
and former judges is proof of that. But
something of this magnitude even left my mouth open. And, I thought I was nearly shockproof.
Instead of being commended for bringing this to the
forefront, Detective DeBlock says he
suddenly found himself keeping company with the blinking light over in the
corner. He had been removed from his
position, told to go chase stolen cars, and be careful crossing the street.
And that is what the lawsuit against the Tampa Police
Department is all about. Do you
really think they would retaliate against him?
Is water wet?