By HENRY FREDERICKDAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- One of Sheriff Mike Chitwood's most active senior administrators in social media is Kyle Bainbridge, who was promoted from sergeant to lieutenant last year.
Bainbridge is viewed by deputies who know all-too-well the divisiveness that exists within the VCSO as a Chitwood loyalist and right to the point: a "rat."
Bainbridge has aggressively been making the case for the firing of County Manager Jim Dinneen, mirroring the efforts of Chitwood with posts to elected members of the county council in recent days.
He was interested in what Headline Surfer had to say about Dinneen's contract until the internet news provider started rolling out factual allegations it has uncovered about Chitwood and Bainbridge blocked further access on Facebook.
Bainbridge was seen as a loose cannon by fellow deputies until Chitwood was elected and he quickly moved up the chain of command.
"He was told he would never be on the K-9 Unit and he was booted from the SWAT Team," said one deputy, who spoke on condition his name be withheld from publication for fear of reprisal. "K-9 thing was a while back, SWAT Team maybe a few years ago."
The deputy didn't mince words, describing Bainbridge as a "spineless two-faced backstabber," adding,"He was blackballed from the K-9 Unit for telling the other participants during tryouts that he “already had the spot” (which wasn’t true) then kicked off of the SWAT Team for causing too much drama."
"He was told he would never be on the K-9 Unit and he was booted from the SWAT Team," said one deputy, who spoke on condition his name be withheld from publication for fear of reprisal. "K-9 thing was a while back, SWAT Team maybe a few years ago."
The deputy didn't mince words, describing Bainbridge as a "spineless two-faced backstabber," adding,"He was blackballed from the K-9 Unit for telling the other participants during tryouts that he “already had the spot” (which wasn’t true) then kicked off of the SWAT Team for causing too much drama."