Sheriff Joe Talks About Barkley’s Jail Time
February 25, 2009 – 10:41 am by Jimmy Shapiro
There are only a few Sheriffs in this country that you’ve actually heard of. Actually, there’s only one I’ve heard of. Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County in Arizona. Sheriff Joe has written books, been on hundreds of television interviews, and even has a reality show in the works. He’s done some groundbreaking things in his prison including “Tent City” and “Pink Boxers” for his inmates.
On Tuesday, Charles Barkley was sentenced to 5 to 10 days in jail. It will be interesting to see if Sheriff Joe makes Barkley wear the pink boxers. Sheriff Joe joined Bickley and MJ on XTRA 910 in Phoenix on Tuesday afternoon. Listening to him, it’s obvious the guy is media savvy and a celebrity with great stories. He talks about treating celebrities like anyone else when arrested, pulling over Elvis Presley when he was a cop in Las Vegas, and challenging Shaq to a free throw shooting contest.
On Barkley sentenced to his jail:
“He will report to our jails I believe March 21. I decided he’s going to Tent City. I’m rather concerned of all these celebrities being arrested. I had Mike Tyson in there recently. I got DMX in there causing a big problem.”
He knows Charles Barkley personally:
“He endorsed my book in 1996, “America’s Toughest Sheriff” and he says he’s not a role model but this man Joe Arpaio is for all Americans especially for the public servants. So I hope if he didn’t read my book maybe he’ll have some time to do it while he’s in the tents.”
On if Barkley will get him special treatment in jail:
“I’ll probably put him with everybody. Mike Tyson, I put him in a tent a little isolated because he likes to bite ears and I sure don’t want my inmates to be losing their ears. But I think Chuck is a different person. I still worry about him, he’s still a big guy and he can whack somebody. They may whack him if they don’t like the way he appears on television. He is very controversial you know.”
