Chris Blevins
The Alabama deputy who beat and pepper sprayed me inside our own home -- and helped cause me to spend "five months in jail for blogging" -- has died.
Chris Blevins died on July 25, 2022, at age 48. From his obituary:
After graduating from Erwin High School, [Chris] went on to graduate from the Birmingham Police Academy in 1996 where he remained until 1999. That year he joined the Shelby County Sheriff’s office where he worked as a Field Training Officer and on the Tactical Response Unit. Chris received the Medal of Valor in 2005 for his actions in attempting to save a drowning person who was fleeing apprehension. He was known for his calm demeanor even during times of tremendous stress and would receive numerous commendations over his 26 years as a law enforcement officer. In 2015 he was awarded Officer of the Year.
Blevins was good at his job, and his survivors include a wife and two daughters.
Blevins looked like a strong fellow, and I can confirm that he was powerful. It's always sad when someone dies too young, perhaps unexpectedly. I've tried not to hold ill will toward Blevins. I'm not sure I've always been successful on that front, but I suspect his actions in our home come under the heading of "following orders from someone above." I doubt Blevins ever made another arrest like mine in his career.
The order giver should have known that such an arrest was unlawful, per Payton v. New York (U.S. Sup. Ct., 1980). And it put Alabama on par with Russia, Uganda, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and other rogue states when it comes to arresting journalists. I'm sure it wasn't part of Blevins' duty to make determinations on such legal issues, so it's probably fair to say he was just doing his job.
In his obit, I could not help but notice that Blevins was an animal lover -- with one dog and three cats. Mrs. Schnauzer and I have had one dog and three cats over the years.
In our brief time together, I wish Blevins and I could have spent time swapping stories about our pets. That's not the way it worked out, but I'm sorry to learn of his passing. Our sympathies go out to his family and friends, including his four-legged friends.
