Trooper Billy Spears released a public statement this afternoon in response to international interest in his photo with Snoop Dogg:
Dear friends and supporters,
I have been overwhelmed by the kindness and the encouragement that I have received from so many people, most of them strangers. I am honored and grateful, and I hope that you will not interpret my silence as a lack of gratitude. I have not spoken publicly or given any interviews because I do not want to be accused of violating any DPS rules or policies. I hope you understand. Thank you again.
/s/ Billy Spears
If you want to help financially, you can contribute via Fundrazr.com or mail a check payable to Billy Spears at 252 CR 3870, Mineola, Texas 75773 (none of the money will go to me, but it will be used for depositions, etc. and to pay other attorneys). I am having intermittent problems with text messages and phone calls, and Yahoo keeps telling me “suspicious activity has been detected in your account” (and my outgoing emails are blocked) . Go figure. If you have tried unsuccessfully to reach me, send an email to tyclevenger at gmail dot com.
If you want to express your support for Billy, fax a letter to Governor Greg Abbott at (512) 463-1849, send an email to [email protected], or send a message from the Governor’s webmail page. You can also send an email to Lt. Governor Dan Patrick at [email protected]. If you are a Texas resident, you can contact your local state senator and state representative via the Texas Legislature’s search page.
By the way, I am no longer a reserve deputy with the Camp County Sheriff’s Office. I resigned on Monday to avoid any friction between my department and the Texas Department of Public Safety. And I’m still waiting for DPS to respond to my question about whether it uses facial recognition software to monitor employees on social media. Various reporters have asked DPS the same question, and I suspect we’ll all get a press release after 5 p.m. on Friday.