Kern County Sheriff Responds to Critics

Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood says he will not ask his deputies to go out of their way to see if churchgoers are armed.

That comes on the heels of additions to the law concerning holders of Concealed Carry permits, and where they can legally carry arms.

Youngblood said in a private interview yesterday that many mass shootings have taken place in churches, schools and other large gatherings, and lives could be endangered if a law banning guns in certain places were followed because it is unlikely that criminals would leave their guns at home, therefore putting innocent lives at risk.

He said if deputies are called to any location to investigate a complaint, anyone found committing a crime would be dealt with according to law but he would not tell his officers to check CCW holders to see if they are armed when they enter a place of worship.

In another matter, Some members of theCommunity Advisory Council took exception to Youngblood using the term “Thug” to describe George Floyd, who died in Missouri on May 25th as he was resisting arrest by police for trying to pass a counterfeit $20 bill.

While some on the committee seemed to take that word thug to have racial implications, Youngblood pointed out Floyd’s extensive criminal record saying no matter what race a person is, a person involved in on-going criminal enterprises is a thug.

-Tony Lee