Wyoming Sheriff Responds to Activists Wrong Assumptions

Brian Kozak is the chief of the Laramie County Sheriff's Office. Recently, he posted a video regarding assumptions made by some local activists when they saw police activity in the city. Those activists assumed a lot and got it all wrong.

You might have heard of the old saying, "Never assume." Because when you do assume, you make an "ass out of you and me."

Watch the video below if you don't get the joke.

Sheriff deputies were in Cheyenne to help a woman recover her stolen car and arrest those who took it.

But anti-ICE activist Joseph Ramirez of Cheyenne, Wyoming, posted on his Facebook page an assumption that those deputies were there to arrest illegal immigrants. Derogatory comments about the sheriff's office and immigration enforcement were included in the post.

What prompted the assumption by the anti-ICE movement in the area is that someone saw a deputy's car parked out in front of someone's house, according to Chief Kozak. But activists did not know why that care was there. They assumed.

In the video Chief Kozak goes on to explain his stance on immigration enforcement in Laramie County. Deputies can only ask immigration questions when they are talking to someone who broke the law. They cannot just go around looking for people to pick up. You, local sheriff deputies, are NOT doing country-wide sweeps for people here illegally. They have too many other items on their plate. They let ICE handle immigration offenses.

Watch the chief's statement below.

While Chief Kozak has some complaints about the Facebook post and an article written in the Wyoming Tribune Eagle, he ends his video on a positive note about coming together as a community for a good cause.

Besides protesting ICE in front of the Wyoming state capital, Mr. Ramirez is asking people to bring food for needy families to the protest. Chief Kozak supports this and is asking people to drop food by the Sheriff's office so he can deliver it to the protesters. While the Chief does not agree with the anti-ICE protest, food for the needy is a worthy cause.

I spoke with Chief Kozak, and he said that he has a friendly meeting with Joseph Ramirez so they can iron out their differences and misunderstandings.