By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter

Levy County Commissioner Mike Joyner praised the two Gilchrist County deputies murdered in a Trenton restaurant as men who chose the profession because they wanted to make a difference, but he condemned their killer as a “sorry coward bastard” whose body should be dragged through the streets.

Sgt. Noel Ramirez, 29, and Deputy Taylor Lindsey were shot to death by John Hubert Highnote, 58, of Bell at the Ace China Restaurant on Thursday. Highnote committed suicide outside the restaurant shortly after carrying out the brutal ambush.

“They should take him right now after he shot himself and drag him down the streets of Trenton and tear all the hide of him and let the buzzards have him and set an example,” Joyner said during commissioner comments at the end of Tuesday’s meeting. “That’s the way Mike Joyner feels about it.”

Joyner, who spent a lifetime in law enforcement and went undercover in state prisons, seven times, said people can hardly imagine how prisoners lie around talking about how to get back at law enforcement and how to retaliate against law enforcement. He said they teach each other how to commit such acts.

But he said he has absolutely no doubt that the two deputies gunned down in the line of duty “are sitting right there are the Lord’s feet and his hand is upon them, saying well done my sons. I have no doubt.”

“I have no doubt where they are. They’re at peace. They’re a little bit better off than we are today, except they are away from their families,” he said. “Those two deputies chose that job because they wanted to help the public. I feel sorry for their families. That’s who we need to pray for, to comfort their families. They’re going to miss them.”

Joyner said law enforcement, unlike military men, whom he said he respects, are “constantly at war” and if the public doesn’t step up and support law enforcement “these ambushes are just the beginning.”

He said no one can convince him Highnote was crazy.

“I’ve laid up there with them and talked with them (state prisoners). It all starts at home where children are having children,” he said. “He (Highnote) is not crazy. He was smart enough to get a gun to do what he wanted. He was smart enough to know how to do it, because he wasn’t crazy. He was a cunning, mean, ruthless, dishonorable pup.”

Joyner asked each and every person attending the county commission meeting to pray for law enforcement and first responders. He said a handshake or a pat on the back could mean a great deal to a law enforcement officer or a first responder, but he said “No one does anything to law enforcement except throw rocks at them.”

“Take 30 seconds and shake his hand and see what kind of smile or glow he gets,” Joyner said.

He finished by asking one of two men on the back row to offer a prayer for law enforcement. As it turns out, the man who offered the prayer was Terrance Reed, a candidate for the District 2 county commission seat held by Rock Meeks, who opened the meeting with a prayer.

Photo by Terry Witt: Commissioner Mike Joyner praises fallen deputies

Board of County Commission Regular Meeting April 24, 2018
Posted April 25, 2018