- April 20, 2024
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Another day on the dais, another conflict between the Volusia County Council.
On Tuesday, Sept. 6, Councilwoman Heather Post defended herself against rumors brought before the council regarding her concealed weapons license and the incident on April 5 where she fell down the stairs in a county building, resulting in an injury from which she spent several months recovering. A previous candidate for the Volusia County Council at-large office, Sherrise Boyd, brought forth allegations that when Post fell down the stairs, a firearm dropped from her purse and onto the ground, and, that it was picked up by a citizen whom Post instructed to hand the gun over to emergency medical services personnel.
Boyd said that she was told the gun was transported with Post to the hospital in a biohazard bag before it was turned over to Post's husband.
"I don't know if this is true or not," Boyd said. "I'm very honest. I don't know, but it has come up to me and it's been going around and if that is the case, then I do believe that at the council [chambers], the metal detectors that were put up here, they shouldn't just be for the public."
Florida statutes prohibit the carrying of a concealed weapon at any meeting of a governing body of a county, public school district, municipality or special district. However, people with concealed weapons are allowed to carry in county-owned buildings. Post's fall occurred outside the county manager's office.
Post's defense was later corroborated by County Manager George Recktenwald and Interim Public Protections Director Mark Swanson, who stated that after the fall, Post's weapon was given to the county's corrections director, who gave it to Post's husband, a deputy with the Volusia Sheriff's Office.
"No weapon went inside an EVAC ambulance," Swanson said. "No ambulance ever delivered a weapon any place. It was done as I just said."
Another member of the public, Wendell DallaRosa, spoke on the topic and called for the county to conduct an internal affairs investigation.
County Councilman Ben Johnson questioned where Post was going to put the gun that was in her purse on that day, as there was a council meeting later that morning. Post declined to answer, questioning why he would ask her to announce to the general public where she stores her firearm.
"My point is I was absolutely in a legal area to carry a firearm and there's no evidence in any way shape or form that I have ever carried a firearm in this chamber," she said.
Post called the rumors "ridiculous" and said they were meant to take the spotlight off things the county should be discussing. She said she had always followed the law regarding concealed weapons permits and that, as a former law enforcement officer, she was offended that anyone would suggest she had committed a crime in that respect.
"The politics of this is just absolutely unreal," Post said. "The stuff that keeps coming up and keeps coming out, the ridiculous, ridiculous dwellings on certain things is so political. It's not even funny. This place is a circus."
Editor's note: This story was updated at 1:23 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 9, to correct that Sherrise Boyd was a candidate for the at-large seat, not District 4 as previously reported.
