COCOA, Fla. – The Brevard County Sheriff is defending two deputies who have drawn criticism from the CEO and founder of a local non-profit organization dedicated to helping the homeless.
Sheriff Wayne Ivey spoke to News 6 Tuesday night after Scott Billue, the founder of Matthew’s Hope, took to Facebook to express his disappointment in Ivey’s deputies, who had taken a woman, seemingly in need, to Matthew’s Hope — outside of business hours.
“This type of disgusting nonsense is not OK!” Billue wrote in a post that was accompanied by pictures of his staff tending to the woman.
But Ivey maintains that his deputies took appropriate action in an attempt to get the woman help.
“The post makes it seem like we abandoned the lady,” Sheriff Ivey said. “And that’s an absolute lie.”
News 6 obtained surveillance footage that shows both instances in question.
At about 6:30 p.m. on Monday night, a Brevard County Sheriff’s deputy is observed placing a brown paper bag on the ground outside the front door. The woman can be seen emerging from the back seat of the patrol vehicle, walking gingerly toward the door. The deputy then gets into his vehicle and leaves.
“It’s uncomfortable for me to see an elderly woman that clearly is frail and has issues being dropped off on the concrete,” Billue said.
Ivey objected to the perception that the deputy “abandoned” the woman, insisting that he was trying to connect her with resources.
“Our deputies were trying to do the right thing,” Ivey said.
Ivey told News 6 that the deputy had responded on Monday to a call about a woman who had shown up to a house where she did not live. The deputy later gleaned she had been released from a medical facility and traveled to a place where she used to live.
Ivey said the woman asked the deputy to take her to a hotel, but because she was unable to reserve a room, the deputy took her to Matthew’s Hope.
“(The deputy) was aware of Matthew’s Hope and some of the resources that they provide,” Ivey explained. “(He) was hoping that that would be a place where she could get some help.”
But Billue argued that because there was no staff at Matthew’s Hope at the time and his organization does not provide shelter services, it was not safe to leave her there.
“That was inappropriate,” Billue said. “It wasn’t right.”
Billue said Cocoa police picked up the woman. But about 12 hours later, a second video depicts a separate deputy dropping the woman off again at Matthew’s Hope — before the organization opened for the day.
Ivey said that particular deputy was very familiar with Matthew’s Hope.
“Our deputy from this morning, for example, has taken — to their estimation — six or seven people to Matthew’s Hope trying to find help,” Ivey said.
That deputy can be seen fetching a chair for the woman to sit—ostensibly for her to wait before the doors opened for the day.
“He didn’t have (to get the chair),” Ivey said while watching the video with News 6. “He did that because he’s a compassionate deputy, because he was trying to make her as comfortable as possible.”
A flyer outside a side door at Matthew’s Hope states that the organization’s outreach services open at 8 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. That same flyer emphasizes that the organization does not offer shelter services.
Billue told News 6 that he does not want any of the deputies punished, but rather hopes this can serve as a learning experience.
“What we’re asking for is understanding,” Billue said.
Ivey told News 6 his agency is always open to improving upon ways to help the community, but he had no plans on punishing the deputies in question.
“Why would I discipline somebody for trying to get somebody help?” Ivey asked rhetorically.
