Polk County, Florida, Sheriff Grady Judd has built a reputation for being straight-talking and tough on crime.
After Hurricane Ian, Grady told homeowners facing burglars during the disaster, “I highly recommend that if burglars break into your house, come into your house while you’re there to steal things, take your gun and yourself. Shoot him – You shoot him so he looks like grated cheese.
Grady said of law enforcement’s failures to protect children in Uvalde, Texas, “If you come to a school in this county, armed, we’re going to do our best through our parents, our school resource officers or ourselves. School Resource Deputy District Attorneys eliminate threats outside of school before they ever get to children. We are trained to do that. “
Sheriff Grady is back with more tough talk in response to a reporter’s question when it comes to the new gang task force created in the county and why a warm and fuzzy approach to violent gang bangers isn’t more prevalent.
At a press conference on the latest arrest of an alleged killer, Grady provided detailed information about the arrest of La’Darian Chandler, accused of shooting 33-year-old John McGee. McGee was shot in the back in December 2022 and is expected to recover, as FOX 13 Tampa Bay reports. McGee refused treatment on Jan. 9 after doctors said he needed to heal.
The reporter asks Grady, “It strikes me that the victim had a mother who cared about him and didn’t want him in that life. We have this 19-year-old. How the Grand Task Force tries to keep young people, young children, from this life.
Grady responds, “Listen, that’s a soft and cute sentiment, ‘We hug a thug and they’ll be fine if we give them another popsicle and ice cream and a day at the park. . . .’ “
“You all need to wake up. These dudes are treating you all as fools. They are hardcore gangsters, gang bangers. They eat your ice cream on Saturday and shoot their rivals on Saturday night…and laugh at you in the meantime.
“So at the end of the day, it starts with raising parents at home when they’re young and getting them away from this lifestyle. But when we’re having these ‘neighborhood events’ for these 15, 16, 17-year-old hard core gang bangers… they’re laughing at you during the day and dressed like this at night (sheriff points to teenager in gang banger garb.)”
“This kind of person, I’m not talking about everyone, this kind of person doesn’t pay attention.”
The response comes at 19:48 in the video.
