The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office routinely and almost daily releases case reports summing up complaints, law-breaking, arrests and other law enforcement issues around Palm Coast and the county. The reports can relate issues as minor as a prowler spotted on this or that street, a bunch of CD’s swiped from an unlocked car or arguments between disgruntled couples.
Here’s one that didn’t make the papers.
The night of March 26, at 10:01 p.m., Jane Carman, “while under the influence of alcohol and possibly prescription medication,” according to a sheriff’s report that didn’t make it into the public paper trail, “disrupted the safety and peace of the neighborhood by discharging a firearm twice outside her residence.” Jane Carman is the wife of Mark Carman, the Sheriff’s captain and head of the sheriff’s extensive Palm Coast operation who ran against the sheriff in the 2008 election. They live on Wellesley Lane in Palm Coast, where homes are stacked next to each other in close succession.
While en route to the Carmans’ address, an undated sheriff’s report filed by deputy John Reckenwald at the Flagler County courthouse states, “this deputy overheard a radio message given to Sgt. Spath from the Flagler County Communications Center that M. Carman had called into the communications center advising that his wife was intoxicated and had discharged a firearm outside their home residence. The defendant also gained access to a Flagler County Sheriff’s office patrol vehicle, started the vehicle, and turned on the patrol vehicle’s emergency siren.”
The report went on: Although no witnesses actually observed Jane Carman fire the gun, “several witnesses from the area stated that they had heard two gunshots.” Jane Carman told the deputy “that the gun ‘accidentally’ discharged while she was loading it. However, she would not state her reason for loading the firearm, which was a .38 caliber revolver and has not yet been recovered.”
It’s not clear whose weapon it was. “I think it was a private weapon he had kept in the house,” Sheriff Don Fleming told FlaglerLive, referring to Mark Carman, though the sheriff was under the impression the gun had been fired once inside the house and made a hole in the ground, which had been repaired. “I was satisfied it was an accidental discharge,” the sheriff said. No disciplinary action followed regarding the captain.
Jane Carman was charged with a count of disturbing the peace and a count of discharging a firearm in a residential area. The case was then transferred to the State Attorney’s office because of conflict issues. It’s still pending. Jane Carman was never booked into the county jail. The sheriff said she had agreed to take a firearm handling course and anger-management counseling, following which, after six months, the charges against her would be dropped. “The State Attorney’s office called me and asked if that was OK with me, and I said it’s fine,” Fleming said. Jane Carman, the sheriff said, was following through with the plan.
Mark Carman, an earnest and affable officer, has been dealing with other difficult family issues in the last few months. He did not respond to repeated attempts to contact him by phone or email.
elaygee says
A drunk and drugged up women, the Sheriff’s Dept captain’s wife, shoots a pistol in the air outside, treies to take off in a Sheriff’s vehicle and doesn’t even get booked? What a load of old boy privilege.
Haw Creek Girl says
oh my, Karma strikes again….In the past, Jane Carmen has always been so quick to judge others with substance abuse problems/situations and now well, now we learn that every dog does indeed have their dad. Enjoy your day, Jane………it comes well deserved :-)
Haw Creek Girl says
and btw, I agree completely with your observation that Mark is an “earnest and affable officer”…he just needs to send Janie to rehab!
itsMe says
The article alludes to the Sheriff’s Office hiding the incident whereas I believe if that were the case there would not be a report.
Carman is indeed one of the good guys.
hello says
Just Wondering , What If Someone got killed by mistake by them air shots . Would They try to Cover That Up ?
itsMe says
Oh I imagine if something like that had occurred it would be very easy to cover up. You know…pay off the family and tell them to keep quiet about it. Tell the persons job that they ran off to join the foreign legion.
Oh don’t mind me….i’m just being equally ridiculous.
Norm says
Thanks to our Sheriff for handling this case the way he did. Mark is a well respected Flagler resident and Deputy. We all have a bad day. Thank god no one got hurt! Our prayers are with you Mark.
Marie Clark says
Amen to Norm and It’s Me. I was trying to figure out what the author was trying to accomplish with this article. There was no cover up and furthermore, Mrs. Carman was charged and the Sheriff’s Office stepped back from the case so there would be no undue influence- actual or assumed because of Mr. Carman’s position.
Great job Sheriff Fleming, both as a professional and as a human being. By turning the case over to the SA, you avoided placing yourself and your agency in a position that might create scandal. By keeping this low key, you did all you could to protect a good, solid man who happens to be a public servant and his wife from embarassment. Too bad it didn’t work out.
Bless the Carmans.
Anonymous says
The purpose of this article is certainly questionable. If someone were breaking in to the author’s home he’d be on the phone asking for help, then probably criticize the police for handling the intruder too roughly. I think in light of the officer’s honorable service to this community, he does not deserve to have this issue brought up in the public spotlight. Perhaps the issue is the result of job related stresses. The matter was handled in the proper legal channels, and I could not fault the sheriff’s office for not issuing a press release. It’s the least we can do for the folks who are there for us when we need them.
John Coffey says
I thought that releasing the address of LEO was a violation of law in itself?
Barbara Taylor says
Just a hunch, but it sure sounds like someone leaked this story out for a reason….
Marie Clark says
I’m hearing that the leak is from a former Flagler County Sheriff.
itsMe says
I wonder who that could be………
Bob K says
Regardless of the source of the leak, it’s up to the editor to print it. I’m not sure what value the story has.
Bob K says
Regardless of the source of the leak, it’s up to the editor to print it. I’m not sure what the value of printing this story is.
itsMe says
You’re right Bob.
Barbara Taylor says
What is the value here? I think it is obvious- the department picks and chooses who will or will not be exposed to the media. Perhaps there is some disagreement with in the department concerning this particular employee.
John D says
Knowing Mark for quite a number of years I know he is more upset over this incident than any of you can imagine. Mark is a professional in every sense of the word and he would not expect special treatment because of his position with the SO. It is so easy for some of you folks to sit on your butts and be critical of a situation you know little about. It must be great to be perfect allowing you to talk down a wonderful man and public servant. You ask what is the value of printing the story? Politics as usual, what other reason is there ever in this small town trying to be a city.
Palm Coaster says
I think the point of this story is – for some strange reason it never made it to the media. If regular protocol had been followed this story would have blended in with all the rest. There wouldn’t have been anything to leak. What’s disturbing is, that if this story can be kept from the media, what else has been kept from the media? Who’s playing information god, determining what is reported and what isn’t. That is what you should be concerned with, that is the point of this story. Also all address’s are public information, a home owners name and address are published on Flagler county tax records, anyone can access them on the internet. That is dangerous and should be illegal, there is no privacy anymore.
Anonymous says
If it happened in my house or yours it would have been reported. Unless the sheriff’s office is saying that shootings are common in Palm Coast, and there is no need to report it. As far as Mark Carman, let’s see, he told everyone in Palm Coast what an awful Sheriff, Fleming was and when he thought he was not going to get a job after the people of palm coast were tired of paying his salary for no good reason, and he was afraid the previous sheriff was going to get re-elected and not hire him back, he jumps on Sheriff’s Fleming bandwagon, the awful man, whom did not have the best interest of Flagler county, as per Carman’s own words, and again goes to work for him. What is wrong with this picture?? If you like Mark Carman as a person, please say so, however, do not muddy the waters with reality and fiction, he is a law enforcement officer, he should know better, and if his wife is having issues, let him use the EPA, to help his wife, their benefits are quite hefty and if that is not enough a private facility would of helped her, let’s not forget his $100K+ salary, while the rest of the county is facing lay off and no raises. Again, if it was you or me it would have been reported and someone would have been taken to jail. Like him or not the truth should be the same for everyone
itsMe says
The assumption that if this incident occurred at anyone elses home it would have made the news is absurd.
It’s quite possible it may not have. Do you think that what the media decides to pick up on is all that occurs?
Really we should be careful what we wish for as we could one day recognize what we are reading as our own dirty laundry.
itsMe says
Palm Coaster,
Please tell me what the “proper protocol” is? Usually media outlets visit a law enforcement agency on a daily basis to look over the previous days reports. The media picks and chooses what it deems newsworthy.
itsMe says
One more thing….Is this website a recognized media outlet? I’m not sure.
Cheryl says
I don’t know of anything or anyone making you stop by the site if the quality and/or depth of the reporting is not to your liking. Sigh, if only you would have stuck with the “other” “media outlets” serving Flagler… you could have remained stupid to the whole incident and not gotten yourself all wound up.
itsMe says
Cheryl,
I am not wound up i’m just posting my feeling on what seems to be some facts mixed with some guessing and opinion being called reporting.
And whether or not the quality or depth of reporting is to my liking should make no difference here as so far what I have read is the writer telling what is not to his liking in many of the articles written here. It would be nice to read a story here without writer opinion and little jabs.
Sure I could stick with other “media outlets” and for you to say so is of yourself remaining stupid and not open minded to any other possible thought on the subject.
Thank you for your reply.
I
celestinewolf says
I rather enjoy the reporting style of this news outlet. Bravo to Pierre and any of his like-minded contibutors! Your personal perspective on issues being written about are just that….and you are always free to choose what you want to read or believe. Kind of a “duh” thing.
Whocares says
It’s so funny to sit back & read all of theese accusations. Mark and Janey both are amazing people. Every family and or couple has there problems in there home. So for all of you that are sitting there being critics, you better step back and take a good look at your familys. Half of this story is completely and udderly exaggerated.. police sierens? please. You have to remember who leaked this story out.. because if both mark and janey both didnt cooperate with flagler live then how do you know what really happened? Oh yea from previous officers that NO LONGER work for the sheriffs department ( im sure thats for a reason). It doesnt take a rocket scientist to figure out who it is .. but were not sitting back talking about his family problems now are we, cause i mean when “one of the previous sheriffs ” was cheating on his wife with numerous women did anyone write a story about that? Didnt think so. Dont throw stones, Karma sucks.
This flagler live is rediculous may i add half the storys that have been on here are so exaggerated, this website should be just as crediable as the comic section in the Sundays paper.
Agreed with the other blogers, what ever happened to protecting the personal address and information of a police officer. Your worried about the law being broken and no action being taken on it, look at this artical. Violating Carmens protected personal information as an officer by releasing his address and photographs of his home. One would think this is an oxymoron.
&Haw creek girl pipe down and stop running your mouth.
Dorothea says
Whocares, I did not know that the picture above showed the Carman home. Until you posted, I thought it was just a picture of the street where the incident happened. It was you who released that information.
Whocares says
Can someone not read ? “The shooting took place on the Carman property on Wellesley Lane. (© FlaglerLive)”
“They live on Wellesley Lane in Palm Coast”
&& If you would have read the other posts before you opened your stupid mouth you would have realized that i wasnt the only one who brought that up. I guarentee “dorothea” is just one of the journalist trying to cover there ass.
“it was you thats dumb as hell.”
I guess ill be checking with the sheriffs office to see if a law has been broken here. One needs to question the motives of this photograph? Obviously this is a personal intrest.
Dorothea says
Whocares, relax. There are about 75 houses on Wellesley Lane and there was no way to identify at which house on Wellesley the incident occurred. You stated that the photo showed the house. You identified the house.
Haw Creek Girl says
Who cares what who cares says?! Not me!! If I want to run my mouth or rather dance my fingers on this keyboard I urge you to do your damndest to stop me! Bring it!
Whocares says
Bring it? are you forreal? lmao. thats cute. i would wreck you to be honest.
Youe prob some old ass bitty sitting at your computer all day running your mouth cause you got nothing better to do && its quite obvious. Get a life.
Haw Creek Girl says
Oh, yeah…that’s me! Old as dirt with nothing to do except take care of a kindergartner and a teenager and work 45 hrs a week! Like I said, bring it! As far as old, I am definately younger than Mark and Janie?!!?
Whocares says
Its so cute to see how your so worried about janeys lifestyle, seems like you gotta little built up animosity & to be honest, to kno both she and myself have gotten under your skin makes me smile :) its sad for your age you would think you would be mature but i guess your childeren have rubbed off on you haha. To inform you i’m 21… & would deff. “bring it” lol plus work circles around your ass. Seems like your intimadated by janey, talking so much shit over here & hiding behind your haw creek girl name haha. Make sure you change your depends :) I need to respect my elders a little bit more huh?
have a good day
Dorothea says
Whocares, get back to work before you wreck your patrol car. Protect and serve or at least learn to spell and drive at the same time.
starfyre says
whocares has great info–too bad this person has no spelling ability
i pray for your grammer
Haw Creek Girl says
Don’t give yourself crdt where it’s not due. You haven’t gotten under my skin, you’ve amused me. Janie apparently got under Mark’s skin or vice versa. That’s not too amusing because he is a nice guy and deserves better. 21, hunh? That makes your mindless babble a little easier to stomach…..kids will be kids! When you can shave, like I said, bring it! Toooodoooooloooooo…..you know the rest ;D
Reinhold Schlieper says
Mark Carman–from my experience with the man–may be nice to the powerful but has no professional compassion with what he sees beneath him. Here’s a Chitwood in the making, I’d say.
ItsMe says
And what is that experience Mr. Schlieper? And please share an incident which led to your comparison of the two men?