Dear Editor,
I am writing to formally request the immediate retraction of the article published by your newspaper featuring Jodie Ussery’s false allegations against a member of my department. The claims made in the article are completely untrue and should have never been printed without proper verification of facts.
Both Sheriff Harrison and I have personally spoken with the alleged victim on separate occasions, and our investigation has confirmed that these allegations are entirely false. Furthermore, if such a crime had actually occurred, there would be official reports, legal action, and statements from the alleged victim or their family — none of which exist.
By publishing this misinformation, your newspaper has contributed to the spread of false and defamatory claims that harm the reputation of this department and an innocent officer. If you wish to maintain a professional relationship with law enforcement, including access to shared arrest reports and other public safety information, it would be in your best interest to retract this article immediately.
I expect a formal response from your editorial team regarding this matter. If necessary, we are prepared to take further action to protect the integrity of this department and its officers from baseless defamation.
Sincerely, Chief Rodricus Monford, Greensboro Police Department
(Editor’s note: This request is in reference to a letter to the editor published in last week’s Lake Oconee News, not an article that was produced by the newspaper. Chief Monford was offered this space to dispute the letter.)