Sheriff whose men repeatedly arrested would-be TRUMP SHOOTER speaks out

Interview with B.J. Barnes, former Guilford County, North Carolina, sheriff whose men dealt with suspected would-be Trump shooter Ryan Routh multiple times over many years. Read about Routh's extensive criminal history here.

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Baker: Did you ever have any personal interactions with Ryan Routh?

Barnes: Never personally, but with over 100 charges and arrests, many of my guys did. He was rather notorious among my people.

Baker: How is it that Routh never served any prison time, given that he had so many arrests and several felony charges and convictions?

Barnes: Guilford County and greater Greensboro are historically very liberal. Our courts here would rather plea out everyone to lesser charges than do the work of convicting real criminals.

Baker: But he had so many criminal charges. Shouldn’t there have been a tipping point where the courts felt they should make him serve time?

Barnes: One would think so.

Baker: What about the 2002 standoff with the “weapon of mass destruction”?

Barnes: That was primarily a standoff with the Greensboro Police Department, but my department was there and assisted. As to the weapons charge, that was pled down to a concealed carry violation, and Routh got away with a wrist-slap.

Baker: It would seem that in a liberal area like Greensboro — and especially with such a serious weapons charge — the politics would dictate such a severe weapons violation would require a harsh response, to make an example out of Routh. Why wouldn’t they go that route?

Barnes: Now, that’s a very good question. At the very least, the weapons charge [in 2002] should have been turned over to federal authorities.

Baker: Since you’ve left service with the Guilford County Sheriff’s Department, are there any good guys left … who might have access to records or be willing to talk?

Barnes: None that would talk to you. That’s the real problem. Apart from myself, there were a total of six conservative North Carolina sheriffs, all taken out at the same time in a coordinated political attack. That’s what really concerns me about this coming election cycle. If they did it once, they can do it again.

Baker: Was it Soros' money used against you and the other conservative sheriffs?

Barnes: No doubt about it.

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B.J. Barnes has been retired for five years. His latest fiction book is “Fools, Clowns & Traitors.”