The publisher of Williamson Reporter says he was unable to obtain contact information for Williamson County Sheriff Matthew Lindemann or the sheriff’s assistant during a phone call to the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday.
Publisher David Flash said he contacted the Sheriff’s Office before going for a jog because he expected part of the exercise to occur after dark and wanted to reduce the likelihood of another law enforcement encounter similar to one he experienced in May.
During the call, Flash said he identified himself as the publisher of Williamson Reporter and asked for Sheriff Lindemann’s email address.
According to Flash, a Sheriff’s Office employee identified as Michaela said she did not have the sheriff’s email address.
Flash said he then requested the email address of the sheriff’s assistant and was again told the information was not available.
The call occurred against the backdrop of an ongoing dispute stemming from a May 23 encounter between Flash and Williamson County deputies.
Flash alleges he was detained while walking in his neighborhood by Deputy Ryan Little and repeatedly asked why he was being detained and what crime he was suspected of committing. According to Flash, those questions were never directly answered during the encounter, which lasted approximately 15 to 20 minutes and involved multiple deputies.
No arrest was made and no citation was issued.
Flash said the experience has altered his behavior and contributed to his decision to contact the Sheriff’s Office before exercising after dark.
“I shouldn’t feel like I need to notify the Sheriff’s Office before I go for a jog,” Flash said. “But after what happened in May, I don’t want another unnecessary encounter.”
Flash said the primary issue raised by Tuesday’s phone call was not whether the sheriff’s email address is publicly posted, but whether residents have a clear way to communicate directly with the county’s top law enforcement official.
“Maybe there’s a policy against providing those email addresses,” Flash said. “If that’s the case, then just say that. But I was asking for the contact information of an elected public official and his office.”
Flash questioned why official contact information for either the sheriff or the sheriff’s assistant could not be provided upon request.
“Government officials work for the public,” he said. “If someone has a concern about how the Sheriff’s Office is operating, there should be a straightforward way to contact the people in charge.”
Williamson Reporter has submitted questions to the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office seeking clarification regarding the agency’s policies for public contact with the sheriff and executive staff.
A response had not been received by publication time.
Editor’s Note: After publication, Williamson Reporter received a return call from Sgt. Jennings of the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office.
Publisher David Flash said he had previously been placed on hold while attempting to speak with a supervisor regarding his request for contact information for Sheriff Matthew Lindemann or the sheriff’s office.
According to Flash, much of the conversation centered on Jennings repeatedly asking why he had called the Sheriff’s Office and what assistance he was seeking. Flash said he repeatedly explained that he was attempting to obtain contact information for the sheriff or the sheriff’s assistant and wanted to know how members of the public can communicate directly with the sheriff’s office.
Flash said Jennings frequently addressed him by his first name, “David,” during the conversation. Flash said he asked Jennings several times for his first name in an effort to identify the supervisor he was speaking with but did not receive an answer. Flash said he also asked whether there was more than one employee with the surname Jennings at the Sheriff’s Office and received a response to that question.
During the call, Flash asked Jennings whether he knew the sheriff’s email address. According to Flash, Jennings initially stated that he did not know it. Flash then asked whether Jennings himself had an email address, and Jennings confirmed that he did. According to Flash, Jennings also stated that he does not receive emails directly from the sheriff.
Near the end of the conversation, Flash said Jennings clarified that he had not meant to say he could not obtain the sheriff’s email address, but rather that he did not know it “off the top of his head.”
“My question was never whether he had it memorized,” Flash said. “I was asking for the contact information itself. It seems reasonable to expect that a supervisor in a modern law enforcement agency would have access to official contact information through department systems, directories, or other electronic resources while on duty.”
Jennings also referenced a prior conversation related to Flash’s complaint regarding a May detention by deputies. According to Flash, Jennings noted that he had previously spoken with him and helped provide information related to the call for service and complaint process.
The conversation ended without Flash obtaining an email address for Sheriff Lindemann, an email address for the sheriff’s assistant, or an explanation regarding how members of the public can directly contact the sheriff regarding concerns they wish to bring to his attention.
Flash said he may seek additional records from the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office regarding the interaction and the agency’s policies governing public contact with executive staff.
Williamson Reporter 