Sheriff Mitchell,

You have posted a video on the county’s Web site depicting four officers purportedly responding to allegations made by me. These officers challenged me to respond. Pursuant to your officer’s demand here is my response. I insist that you post my response on the county Web site alongside the video.

You use a rhetorical bait and switch to obfuscate allegations of misconduct. That is, if your behavior is inexcusable, then defend yourself against accusations that were never made and hope that the truth is lost in the confusion.

Three of the four officers that appear in the film have no involvement with the complaint I filed; they were not named in it and I have never suggested that there was any wrongdoing on their part. My complaint named only one of the officers that appeared in the video.

It’s noteworthy that in your production, Det. Andrews staunchly defends three of the officers in the video (including himself) but offered no defense of the fourth officer. That officer, Sgt. Chris Chwialkowski, was actually named in my complaint and is at the center of many of the allegations brought forward by myself and others.

I certainly do not contend that all employees at the LCSO are racially profiling or discriminating against fellow employees on the basis of their race or ethnicity, but some are. Having worked there for a year and a half I know firsthand that most of the deputies are honorable public servants.

There are a select few, however, that don’t uphold the oath of their office. Sadly, rather than addressing these facts, you have chosen to use your subordinates in an attempt to confuse the issue.

I had nothing to gain by going public other than trying to end, once and for all, the disparate treatment of the minorities in Lake County. I stand by my statements made on Channel 7’s news program and remain defiant of attempts to sully my reputation and intimidate me for reporting misconduct.

Brian Lande is a former Lake County Sheriff's deputy who left the county to take a job with another agency.