'Heartsick' Sharon Police Chief Issues Statement On Unrest

SHARON, MA — A "heartsick" Sharon Police Chief John Ford on Monday released an emotional letter to the community calling for unity and respect for local law enforcement whose goal is to protect its citizens.

The statement comes in the wake of weekend protests, which turned violent in cities across the country — including Boston —after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis last week, and amid the three-month coronavirus health emergency where first responders have been at an increased risk of contracting the deadly virus.

"How and why do we get pulled into issues that really do not describe, or clearly are not due to any actions of those fine men and women you work with?" Ford wrote. "Why are we not willing to even listen to divergent opinions and thoughts without describing those individuals with labels? Are there multiple things going on worth investigating and discussing? Are there multiple truths? What is truth? Is there hope that we can have future discussions with perhaps conflicting perceptions of "facts."

"For me, such discussions are paramount towards truly healing national racial tensions."

Ford wrote that "there are just a few of the painful and soul-seeking questions have asked myself recently, both as a citizen and as the chief representative of law enforcement for this community that I dearly love."

Ford said law enforcement has been under "a great deal of pressure" in recent months "to navigate sometimes impossible waters."

"We are all exhausted," Ford said. "The officers I work with are willing to defend lives and property of everyone. I sense that the community recognizes and appreciates that commitment.

"The tragedy of the death of George Floyd weighs heavily on us all. The tragedy of our humanity being removed due to our unwillingness to listen to others assuredly will prevent the critical opening dialogue towards true healing."

Ford said that everyone recognizes the need to build bridges, and that shouting on social media and rallies is easy, but that "the difficulty is in the arduous work of actually building."

"I'm not exactly sure what that looks like," Ford wrote. "Perhaps, as a community, we can explore that together, but currently we all need time to reflect, pray and recover."

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