Last year, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) raided several barbershops in the Pine Hills and surrounded areas, creating much angst, particularly in the Black communities.
Now Pine Hills barbers are suing the Sheriff’s Office over the raids, reports wdbo.com.
Brian Berry, who owns one of the barbershops was handcuffed by deputies during the raid, without explanation. As it turned out, all the barbers in Strictly Skillz had their licenses to operate and neither Berry nor any of the barbers who worked shop was charged with any crime.
Late last year, Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings did admit that things were not perfect with the inspections.
Subsequently, an internal investigation concluded that all deputies involved “acted appropriately during the inspections….” Demings also encouraged anyone who felt that their rights were violated during the inspections to make a formal report.
Today, following the filing of the lawsuit, Demings issued the following statement:
“We do not comment on pending litigation; however, these matters have been reviewed by our agency and we look forward to our day in court. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office holds itself to the highest standards and certainly did not target Black or Hispanic barbershops.
As a public servant in order to maintain public trust, I lead with integrity and will continue to hold members of my agency accountable. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office operates with the highest ethical standards and will continue delivering quality service to Orange County residents.”
