Bell County Attorney releases Grisham dash cam video

Sergeant, lawyer vow appeal in works

Temple Police Officer: We're exempt from the law...
Reporting by R.S. Gates
Story by The Legendary Jim Parks

Belton, TX – When County Attorney Jim Nichols released the evidence jurors were instructed to use in their conviction of M/Sgt. C.J. Grisham, the Sergeant immediately released a copy to the members of Open Carry Texas.

Here it is, a 14-minute video that will make history in the Lone Star State and eventually strike a blow for freedom against statist elements who seek to disarm the public in their needs to protect themselves, their posessions, their homes and their places of business.

The Legendary, The Temple Telegram and WatchdogWire.com all obtained the information on appeal from an Open Records Divison appeal to the Office of the Attorney General, a few minutes after 1 p.m. at the Bell County Justice Center.

Sgt. Grisham said he will definitely enter an appeal challenging the conviction, but did not immediately specify on what grounds or points of appeal.

"The irony of your sign, here, doesn't escape me," said Sgt. Grisham, as Officer Steve Ermis hauled him away in cuffs in the rear of his patrol vehicle. "We work for God…"

Readers worldwide are invited to form their own opinion as to the lawfulness of the arrest, the seizure of this war veteran's property, and the validity of the judge's instructions to jurors as to what constitutes "criminal negligence" when dealing with a police officer or any other public official doing their appointed duty.

- The Legendary

Clown door

Defense in Grisham delays release of dashcam

Lawyer elects to release video on Friday

Temple Police Officer Steve Ermis

Belton, TX – Following the jury's sentence of a $2,000 fine and no jail time for conviction of misdemeanor interference with a public official, M/Sgt. C.J. Grisham deferred to his lawyer's advice and chose to delay release of the dashcam video used as evidence in his trial.

Attorney Blue Rannefeld counseled him to wait a few days before releasing the public document the Attorney General's office previously ruled must be released under a public information act request.

The video depicts Temple Officer Steve Ermis as he asks the Sergeant why he has a rifle and is carrying it openly. His reply, “Because I can,” is plainly audible. At that point, the video shows the officer drawing his semiautomatic pistol and jamming in the back of the soldier's neck, then changing its location to his left armpit as he grabs for the gun.

According to Victoria JohnGalt Montgomery, Sgt. Grisham chose to defer to his attorney's advice for legal reasons. She is a board member of the organization he heads called Open Carry Texas, the PR Director, and spokesman for the group.

Jurors were instructed that if they found from seeing evidence and hearing testimony that the Sergeant acted with criminal negligence in substantially, recklessly, intentionally and knowingly interfering with Officer Ermis as he disarmed him, they should convict him of the Class B Misdemeanor offense punishable by a fine of $2,000 and 6 months in jail.

Readers of this blog and members of OCT expressed surprise and disappointment at the news that they would not be able to see the public document today, but instead will have to wait until Friday.

Following announcement of the jury's decision on his punishment, Sgt. Grisham said the decision signals a new paradigm in relations between legal authorities and armed citizens, "It cost me $2,000 to have my guns confiscated...Texans are subject to losing their guns and they won't even know why…"

- The Legendary