Teller Sheriff Comes Out Swinging in Battle to Protect Second Amendment and Defend Police Officers

Mikesell Addresses Heated National Issues

Trevor Phipps

Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell hit the media spotlight once again with a television appearance and a bold statement supporting the Second Amendment.

Last Monday, Mikesell was the guest on the “Truth and Liberty Coalition,” which is a show hosted by Andrew Wommack and Richard Harris. (Andrew Wommack is  the founder of Andrew Wommack Ministries in Woodland Park and Richard Harris is the general counsel of AWM and Charis Bible College.) Then after his television appearance he posted a statement supporting the Second Amendment on the Teller County Sheriff’s Facebook page.

 

During the hour-long television interview, Mikesell was asked questions surrounding nationwide topics. The interview started with the role of a law enforcement agent during the current political climate of the country.

 

Mikesell spoke about his background as a lifelong law enforcement officer and admitted that the climate has changed compared to previous years. He cited the increased scrutiny and criticism of law enforcement and figures of authority.

 

During the interview, Mikesell discussed  the explosion of marijuana-grow operations in the county, when he first became sheriff. He mentioned the active, “Get out of Teller” campaign and how the sheriff’s office eradicated many illegal marijuana-grow operations in the county, some of which were related to drug cartels.

He then went on to discuss why he chose to form the partnership with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, a stand which has drawn some criticism. He also talked about the legal battles he went through in his battle against the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

 

The television broadcast focused on a slew of heated subjects. Wommack and Harris questioned Mikesell about several topics including the Second Amendment, the defund the police movement, and the presence of racism in law enforcement organizations.

When asked about the defund the police movement, Mikesell said that he did not see it working very well in the places where it has occurred. “The less law enforcement agents that are out there protecting your rights you are losing your freedom,” Mikesell said. “Those men and women are putting their lives on the line for people that are now saying, we are not going to fund you, we are not going to support you, we are not going to help you. In fact, we are going to come after you, we are going to terrorize you, we are going to put you in national media, and we are going tell people what an evil person you are. Then at the same time you see those cities that have had the defund issues lose their cities. Their downtowns are destroyed.”

 

The sheriff also said that the defunding the police movement and the current political climate has affected recruitment at the local sheriff’s office. Mikesell said that currently recruitment is down 80 percent.

 

The red flag law in the state, which can eventually enable authorities to take firearms away from those deemed as mentally unstable, via a court order, was another topic that the sheriff addressed.  Mikesell  said he opposed this law because it lacked probable cause. He also said that since the law went into effect,  there have no cases in Teller County where it was used.

 

During the end of the interview, Wommack brought up The Mountain Jackpot (TMJ) News April Fool’s edition, which featured a spoof story of Mikesell running for governor in Colorado.  Oddly enough, this article, which actually highlighted some of Mikesell’s stand on certain issues, brought about an amazing response from readers and viewers who wanted to donate money to such a campaign. “We had an April Fool’s joke where everybody said Jason Mikesell was running for governor,” Wommack said. “Man, my whole staff got excited and we found out that it was an April Fool’s joke that was put in the paper. Whenever you get ready to run for governor, I’ll support you.”

 

“Well, I may someday,” Mikesell replied. “But, right now I like being sheriff.”

 

Mikesell Issues Statement Against New Gun Laws

After Mikesell’s television appearance, he issued a statement on social media promising to protect everyone’s constitutional rights including the Second Amendment. “I believe the Constitution of the United States of America is the backbone of our country,” the sheriff said in the statement. “The constitutional amendments are absolute; they are the building blocks and the very fabric that makes us different from other Countries.”

 

Mikesell then hinted to the belief that the state’s new gun laws were not constitutional. “The Second Amendment states that ‘…the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed,’” the statement said. “Some believe the right to keep and bear arms is not absolute. I am here to tell you, it is. Your right to bear arms is absolute and will not be infringed by my office, regardless of any orders or legislative decrees.”

He was referring to a possible slew of new gun control laws in Colorado, following the mass shooting in Boulder, and even nationwide.

 

Once the sheriff’s statement hit social media his post went viral and was shared by several local organizations. The statement also prompted interviews from several local media sources.