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Anchor's Arrest Under Review

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 21, 2009

TAMPA - Internal Affairs for the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office will conduct a review of the arrest of WTVT, Channel 13, morning anchor Russell Rhodes, sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter said Tuesday.

Carter said such a review is standard procedure "any time an arrest is made receiving a lot of public scrutiny." Rhodes was arrested Friday night and charged with obstructing or opposing an officer without violence after Hillsborough County deputies say he tried to run from an off-duty deputy in the Channelside Parking Garage.

At 10:15 p.m., an off-duty deputy at the parking garage, 810 Channelside Drive, saw Rhodes driving recklessly in his 2006 BMW 325i in the garage, according to Hillsborough County sheriff's spokesman J.D. Callaway. Rhodes "was attempting to reverse his vehicle into other traffic after passing the exit token machine," according to a criminal report affidavit.

When the deputy stopped the car, Rhodes got out, and his pants and belt were undone, Callaway said. He said Rhodes appeared to be intoxicated and twice walked away from the deputy, then tried to run out of the garage. Rhodes refused to surrender his car key, Callaway said, and he jerked his hand away from the deputy to prevent him from grabbing the key, "requiring the deputy to take Rhodes to the ground to be handcuffed," Callaway said.

Rhodes was taken by ambulance to Tampa General Hospital's emergency room to be treated for a laceration to his lip and a contusion to his left cheek, Callaway said. The injuries are apparent in his booking photo.

WTVT is owned by the Fox Broadcasting Corp. A Fox spokeswoman referred questions to WTVT's Web site, which states that "Fox 13 management is aware of the matter and is reviewing it."

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Dad Who Owes $165,000 In Court

"OK" was David William Earley's response Tuesday when he faced a judge in Pasco County, charged with violating his probation and failure to pay $165,000 in child support.

His wife and ex-wife, though, had plenty to say about the consequences of his arrest.

Ex-wife Sharon Earley said she has been trying to collect child support for her four children with Earley for 19 years.

Earley's wife, Christina Earley, disagrees.

"She lives in a nice house in Palm Harbor and has more jewelry than God," Christina Earley told News Channel 8 in a phone interview. "She's not suffering."

A Pinellas County judge could sentence David Earley to as long as five years in prison if he is found guilty of skipping out on his probation and failing to pay child support.

After receiving an anonymous tip, Pasco deputies found Earley hiding in a trailer park in Holiday on Monday.

Christina Earley said after spending two "stress-filled" weeks answering frequent police knocks at her door, she told her two elementary school-age daughters about their father's arrest and the reason for it.

"I had no other choice," she said.

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