South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw leading law enforcement from hospital
A man considered to hold the greatest law enforcement power in Palm Beach County is doing so from a hospital bed at JFK Hospital near Lake Worth.
Ric Bradshaw, the fiveterm sheriff, has been in the hospital for over a month after two medical procedures between April 26 and May 3. The second procedure was an elective heart procedure, Sheriff ’s Office spokeswoman Teri Barbera said, but did not provide details.
Barbera said Bradshaw did not have a heart attack.
She said the undisclosed procedure was successful and the sheriff ’s recovery is going better than expected. In November 2020, the then-72-year-old Bradshaw was reelected sheriff for the fifth time. Should he finish the his fifth, four-year term, he will earn the title as longest-serving sheriff ’s in the history of Palm Beach County.
That’s exactly what he intends to do — and then some, said Rick Asnani, Bradshaw’s campaign manager.
“Sheriff Ric Bradshaw plans on recovering, returning, and re-running,” Asnani said,
Bradshaw previously served as chief of police in West Palm Beach. All told, he has more than 50 years in law enforcement experience.
The Sheriff ’s Office has
4,300 employees and thousands of volunteers. It serves
680,000 residents in Palm Beach County.
Asnani said he has visited the sheriff at the hospital on more than one occasion and everyone from his family to his medical team is encouraged with Bradshaw’s recovery.
“He is positive, upbeat and grateful for the work and care that he has has been given by the doctors and nurses,” Asnani said. “He’s happy with his prognoses and excited to get back.”
Asnani could not give a time table when he thought the sheriff might be able to come back, but he did say the sheriff was eager to return.
“This is no different than him being on vacation,” Asnani said.
Still, officials at the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office are aware of rumors to the contrary, and issued a statement in mid-May about Bradshaw’s health.
Barbera said the sheriff is in daily contact with command staff.
“Sheriff Bradshaw wants the residents of Palm Beach County to know that he has a strong executive and law enforcement team in place who are doing a great job in keeping your families safe. Sheriff Bradshaw is getting regular briefings and is capable of reviewing information and guiding his team,” Barbera wrote.
“Unfortunately, rumors and misinformation are being spread throughout the public about the sheriff ’s health to create a perception of weakness or to manipulate the circumstances. Sheriff Bradshaw’s procedure was elective, not due to an emergency. He is receiving excellent medical care and expects to be back to work soon,” Barbera wrote.