Meade County Sheriff says office has gotten hundreds of calls, emails after couple's arrest at clerk's office (2024)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The Meade County Sheriff is speaking out on social media after a couple was arrested for "causing a disturbance" while taking a video at the county clerk's office earlier this month.

Chris Reiter and Tiffany Napier were in the clerk's office at the time to get documents for an upcoming court case.

In part of the Oct. 17 video, Napier can be heard saying "You are not a good cop. You need to go away."

Chief Deputy Ray Whited responds "I'll tell you what, let's just go to jail then for disorderly conduct."

Reiter then asks "For what? Hold up..." and Napier responds "Get your hands off of him. Get your hands off of him."

At the time of their arrests, the sheriff's office said deputies were called to the Circuit Court Clerk's Office on a report that "the ladies that work in the office were fearful of the situation."

The video came from a livestream that lost connection while Napier and Reiter were requesting court documents. In part of the video, you can hear the couple but can't see them.

Meade County Sheriff Phillip Wimpeesaid in a Facebook post Thursdaythat there is a pending case against the couple, and a special prosecutor has been requested.

Wimpeesaid his office has gotten hundreds of phone calls, emails, and open records requests, communications he said have been "nothing short of abusive."

Investigators said the couple started getting loud and disruptive, and refused to follow instructions. That's when they were arrested. The sheriff's office said they weren't arrested because they were recording.

Both Napier and Reiter were charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

"It appears at this time that one or more people were causing a disturbance by recording personnel and asking questions in an uncivil manner," the sheriff's office said in a news release following their arrests. "We strive provide the best possible service to citizens and will continue to do so. The safety of all is of our upmost importance."

Reiter hadtold WDRB Newsthat his girlfriend was livestreaming the whole time and he's very disturbed by the behavior and actions of the chief and his deputies.

In a statement shared with WDRB on Thursday, Reiter said, in part, that although the sheriff's office said their arrests had nothing to do with them recording, "the arresting officer specifically said that he was arresting us for 'having cameras all up in everybody's face."

You can read Reiter's full statement below:

"They just want to know why you lied and said that our arrests "had nothing to do with us recording" yet the arresting officer specifically said that he was arresting us for "having cameras all up in everybody's face" and the report from the clerks to the Chief Deputy was "We have the right to not be recorded"... Also in the audio your chief specifically said he was going to keep our cameras after I said that the footage would PROVE that there was no cause to arrest us... Now you have gotten a judge (YESTERDAY) to sign a warrant to invade ALL of our privacy from our devices, even our GPS locations, access to all of our social media, and messaging applications, etc... From a false allegation of "disorderly conduct" 8 days prior! It's also questionable that this warrant happened to be signed at the same time that I was there to press charges on you and Sidney Durham for unlawfully having possession of my private property well after the 48 hr statute of limitations to obtain a warrant!! We offered the footage from our devices IMMEDIATELY since minutes after our unlawful arrest, and have maintained that you would be provided with unedited copies for court all along. People know that your reasons for taking our stuff is mostly so that the video will not be seen by your constituents. You sir are EXTREMELY UNPROFESSIONAL and UNACCOUNTABLE!! All at the expense of violating 2 innocent American's constitutional rights, and letting your chief violently attack my girlfriend!! Shame on you sir. I would prefer to let further arguments be held in court."

Related Stories:

• Couple arrested in Meade County after 'causing a disturbance' while filming interaction at clerk's office

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