Waco PD’s Swanton to run for McLennan County sheriff

Waco police Sgt. W. Patrick Swanton will run against incumbent McLennan County Sheriff Parnell McNamara in the 2016 election, documents show.

Swanton filed a report on July 17 designating a campaign treasurer, identified as Kneeley D. Lawdermilk, for the election.

As the face of the Waco Police Department, Swanton’s public profile increased significantly during the national media influx surrounding the May 17 Twin Peaks shooting, during which he gave dozens of television interviews reaching national audiences.

“I am excited about giving McLennan County voters an option for a candidate with trusted leadership skills, tested experience and a true commitment to fulfilling the role of sheriff,” Swanton said Monday.

He added that he was approached after he handled some press in the aftermath of the explosion at the West Fertilizer Co. on April 17, 2013, by people who were impressed by his communication skills and ability to handle a crisis.

“I started mulling it back then, and, as time passed, I became more convinced of my passion and desire to run for sheriff and provide a service to McLennan County that I think is lacking,” Swanton said.

He would not speak more specifically about what he believes the community is currently lacking but said he will elaborate further when he officially launches his campaign in a “couple of weeks.”

Swanton noted that while negotiating the press after the Twin Peaks shooting showed the community his skills, his mind was already made up at that point.

He added, “I’m very happy where I am right now, I really love what I’m doing for the Waco Police Department, I just think I can expand and provide to a larger population with what I’m capable of doing.”

“I love this community, and I feel like I have so much more to offer,” Swanton continued. “Right now I’m kind of bound by the City of Waco borders.”

Swanton will have been with the Waco Police Department for 35 years in October, he said.

McNamara confirmed that he will seek re-election for the post and said that Swanton called him for a meeting last week to deliver his news in person.

“I went by his house and he told me,” McNamara said. “Anybody can run. I’m going to continue to run and continue to do everything I can for the sheriff’s office and the citizens of this county to keep them safe.”

He added, “I’ve got tremendous support out there and the citizens are behind me, and I certainly take that to heart. Our motto is ‘Your safety comes first,’ and we believe in that. I tell our guys to read that motto before they ever read ‘sheriff’ on the car.

“I’m going to continue to do everything we can to keep the heat turned up on the criminals and keep the citizens safe. I assure you I’m going to do that,” he added.

McNamara, a former longtime deputy U.S. marshal, replaced retiring Sheriff Larry Lynch after winning a hard-fought Republic primary election in spring 2012, then defeating a Democratic challenger in November.

Candidates for the 2016 sheriff election must file their applications between November 14, 2015 and December 14, 2015, according to the election page of the Texas Secretary of State website.

The primary election date is March 1, 2016, with a runoff date of May 24. The general election date in 2016 is Nov. 8.

So sorry to wake you from your Nice Dreams, just in time for some munchies.

Most ‘thinking’ people with whit of common sense recognize that people who ride around on motorcycles pretending to be and looking like Hell’s Angels and shoot up a public place ARE criminal bike gangs. Only pinheads that grovel at the feet of those criminal bike gangs, hoping to find a crumb of meth they dropped without getting assaulted or killed by their bike gang friends, can not see that truth brightly flashing before their eyes.

Now take another toke and we’ll see you later. For your own sake stay away from Waco, they have shown they don’t suffer fools well.

So sorry to wake you from your Nice Dreams, just in time for some munchies.

Awkward lead-in to the rest of your post. Although intended to insinuate that positions in opposition to your argument must by default arise through chemically altered cognition, it didn't rise to that level. Just managed to sound like you were a little flustered.

But I get it. You have strong feelings. You don't like me for some reason. Y'all wanna flame war. Well, that's fun too sometimes. I don't mind.

Most ‘thinking’ people with whit of common sense recognize that people who ride around on motorcycles pretending to be and looking like Hell’s Angels and shoot up a public place ARE criminal bike gangs. Only pinheads that grovel at the feet of those criminal bike gangs, hoping to find a crumb of meth they dropped without getting assaulted or killed by their bike gang friends, can not see that truth brightly flashing before their eyes.

"Dude, c'mon! There's no apostrophe in Hells Angels."

What a parade of horribles! Yet most 'thinking people' do not engage in red herring fallacies to develop their thoughts and constructs, tempting as it may be. That said, the rest of your commentary is only slighly above the level of a personal attack. Mildly amusing, but not really worth engaging.

Now take another toke and we’ll see you later. For your own sake stay away from Waco, they have shown they don’t suffer fools well.

My road plans are north, not south, this summer. Good things don't seem to happen in Waco, or the surrounding environs. I can think of sixty-eight men, women and children of recent memory that were shot, gassed, burnt and crushed to death there by agents of the State. The latest wholesale violations of civil rights amid death, propaganda and official blankets of denial and stonewalling are disgusting. I would say par for the course, but that would be a little unfair. It's just McClennan County here and assorted sub-jurisdictions, not the Federal government, that's engaged in the shooting and killing and coverup.

But what is it, I must ask, that hardens your nipples about bikers in particular? (As opposed to La Cosa Nostra, or jihadists, or Democrats - I realize I'm being redundant here.) Bad past experience? Dissatisfaction with Kurt Sutter's iconography? What is it?

To be candid, experience has shown me that usually what lies at the root of angst towards the outlaw archetype is a fear of power. Branches out from the same neuroses that hoplophobia and atychiphobia do. Not to say that's correct in your case, I have no idea. But it's a working assumption.

There, did I subtly infer with more grace and depth than your initial munchies salvo?

As I said, flame wars can be fun. Dance?

For the assault and gang conspiracy to commit assault, the state has 3 years to bring criminal charges. There is NO statute of limitation for charging murder or conspiracy to murder.

On this arrest, the state has roughly half a year to charge or "drop the arrest" (which does not drop the right to charge at a later date, within the statute of limitations)

There is no need for the report to come out at all, if the state doesn't charge anybody. Would be a little odd, politically, but I get the feeling that folks in Waco are quite accustomed to "odd."

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