OCALA, Fla. – A grand jury released its findings on the indictment and arrest of Marion County Sheriff Chris Blair.
Blair was suspended from office after he was arrested on perjury and official misconduct charges last month.
Prosecutors said Blair lied about injuries a suspect suffered during an arrest.
However, that was just one of several instances of poor leadership outlined in the 13-page presentment by the grand jury.
The findings read Blair would stop "at no means" to make traffic stops and make and clear arrests.
"The combination of the focus on making arrests, and the "kick (explicit) and take names statements, and the insistence that no one would get away if they ran, no matter what costs, set the overall tone of what was seen as his approach to the function of the MCSO. They also set the change for what happened overall."
The grand jury also believed the sheriff pressured his deputies to make arrests, played favorites and blatantly ignored excessive force claims.
Interim Sheriff Emery Gainey said at a news conference on Friday afternoon that a few, including, the sheriff, "tarnished the badge," adding he is hopeful for a change.
?"We read it, and needless to say, I found myself disappointed, discouraged and quite frankly a bit angry that men in our profession would tarnish the badge," he said. "However, despite that, we are hopeful and excited for the men and women that are here that continue to do their job and will not tarnish the badge."
The grand jury gave five recommendations for a new sheriff in its report and Gainey has already made those changes.
Marion County Sheriff's Office released its new excessive force policy on Friday just before the news conference?, giving both citizens and deputies the option to report excessive force anonymously.
Gainey said for the first time, there will be a separate internal affairs division to investigate those claims.
Sheriff Emery Gainey Addresses Grand Jury Recommendations