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Suspended Marion County sheriff reacts to perjury charges

MARION COUNTY, Fla. — Channel 9's Kathi Belich sat down with the Fraternal Order of Police President Michael Saxe Friday to talk about how suspended Marion County Sheriff Chris Blair is reacting to his arrest on perjury charges.

Saxe said Blair told him that he believes he has a good chance of defending himself successfully against the charges.

Blair is under indictment for perjury and official misconduct.

Video shows Blair looking at convict Dustin Heathman as Heathman is being led into a sheriff's vehicle with visible facial injuries.

But records show Blair told the grand jury he did not see Heathman's face.

“He's confident that he's going to be exonerated. He's hurting. He's upset and my heart goes out to him,” said Saxe.

Heathman said the injuries were caused by deputies beating him after he was in custody, and that he did not resist.

Heathman is suing the sheriff's office while in prison, where he's serving a life sentence for attempted murder.

Saxe said deputies are hurting as well. Many have grown up in Marion County and have lived there their entire lives.

“They're here because of the dedication to the community and their own families and the people here. When you look at it on that level and you realize just how personal this is for them, and to have a community looking at you with suspicion, when you're doing the job for those reasons, that hurts,” said Saxe.

Channel 9 found out that three of Blair’s top employees recently decided to retire.

Emery Gaines of the State Attorney General's Office was named interim sheriff.

Contact Kathi Belich for more on this story.