The officers' statements are phrased in the article on left, #8, titled "Kingsport MySpace probe began with copies of officer's blog slipped under police captain's door"

So our Police Force views Fun Fest as a week of telling people no? Drinking isn't permitted at any Fun Fest event, other than the wine tasting. And do we really have a problem of men beating their spouses that week as well? That's pure baloney. What on earth would these officers do if we had other festivals during the year that drew tourists and locals out of their homes to congregate and socialize? Most of them help at Bristol Motor Speedway as well, and I've seen the looks in their faces as all these drunk happy folk are just filing by them. Must be a nightmare for the local cops, not being able to arrest and meddle with all of them. So what you are saying is, if the cops can't be out piddling and playing Dukes of Hazard, they view their duties as petty? I've lived in quite a few different areas in this country, and by far the small community police forces are the most abusive with the "power" they percieve themselves to have over people. They don't like normal police duties, they would most definitely rather be out meddling and flashing that badge.

No Dale, I wasn't implying that he is going to be arrested under the Patriot Act. I was poking fun at the Patriot Act because when you actually look at it (The Patriot Act), that could easily happen if someone decided they wanted to push it. In the name of Terrorism, the American public has sit with their head in the sand and gave up their basic rights including freedom of speech and that means that terror has won. I agree that Eric should have the same rights to Freedom of Speech as the next person. Eric is a fine Officer and a good person, everybody may not like him, but his job isn't to make buddies. By nature people don't like to be told no, No you can't drink and drive, No you can't beat your spouse etc...That is why alot of people don't like the police. FunFest is a week of telling people no, so I guarantee he was aggravated. People say "thats their job" and they shouldn't get stressed....well everybody gets stressed regardless of their job or who they are.

I can't believe what I am reading! Are there people out there who actually believe that officer Manis will be arrested under the Patriot Act because of unflattering comments about Fun Fest and the citizens and denizens of Kingsport? I had no idea that Fun Fest was so crucial to national security that no one could speak out against it!! Come on guys. You are all more intelligent than that. This is a stretch by anyone's imagination. He is much more likely to face charges by that bastion of freedom and defender of Freedom of speech, The American Civil Liberties Union... for hate speech. If officer Manis is guilty of anything it is constipation of the brain and running off at the mouth. That he happened to use a forum such as MYspace shows his naivety when dealing with the internet. This and nothing more. He has as much right to his personal opinions as anyone else does. But he must also realize that if he put it on the net, he should not expect his thoughts to remain private. He should not be punished for his thoughts. You do not lose your rights simply because you wear a badge.

Actually you can bring the President and Vice President into it. If you take into account The Patriot act, Eric can be declared a threat to society and be investigated by the FBI, phone tapped without a warrant and he could be imprisoned while its all sorted out. You may say, that'll never happen, but if you research it, many people, including politicians, have been investigated in the name of the Patriot Act. It's a shame, Eric is a good Officer, I'm sure the guy was just blowing off steam after a long stressful week and I'd be willing to bet he's not the only person to ever post anything on a MySpace blog that ruffled a few feathers.........

I really do not understand how George Bush and Dick Cheney got involved in this news story. I think comparing our Police Officers to "1930's German Gestapo" is a very STUPID AND THOUGHTLESS remark!!! I can agree with Mr.Lipps on one thing , just by reading his hate filled letter I to can say race does still play a roll!! The officer in question is being investigated and will be delt with for his comments.

I find it Comical that the Troops are out with there Pitchforks and Torches after an Occifer and some petty rambelings in a "MYSPACE" page LOL when NOBODY comments on something like "Former Scott supervisor accused of felony computer solication of children (0)" the 0 means Zero Comments ... Yet this Law enforcement Officer gets poked in the ribs Hence " Dont argue with stupid people they will just make you stupider and beat you with it " LOL. Being a car salesman for a long time lets you into a small personal world of which i'm sure Police Officers deal with every day "STUPID LIES". Cut the guy some slack he just went and blew off some steam. He should just be advised to be more careful to where he blows the steam. "Sorry is the time when we are more synical of our law enforcement then the real criminals"

Bravo, Jim Williams. Bravo.

I sent this letter to the editor on Aug. 17 and want to repeat it here. I am very dismayed with the level of reporting re: this artical. Many people in high stress occupations often make remarks, meant to be humorous, that may seem unprofessional to others as a way of coping with the effects of stress in their daily lives. This is a trivial issue that does not warrant being reported as "front page news". It should be addressed within the police department and only reported when and if it is determined to be a valid offense. Besides tarnishing the reputation of a dedicated police officer, this type of reporting causes the public to doubt the integrity of the entire department and to disrespect the sacrifices these officers make for our benefit. I personally know that Mr. Manis is a very honest, caring, Christian man who would never knowingly harm any person. He has dedicated his life to uphold the law and serve the public for their safety and well-being. Perhaps, "front page news" should be reserved for incidents that are of real concern as not to cause more harm than good. In addition, in response to the one complaint against him in his 4 years of service, I think that it is exemplary that he has never had any other complaints. None of us are perfect and I am sure that we all make mistakes in our work. One complaint in 4 years is probably less than many others have received. I know that I have had complaints against me, when I have been focused on many different problems, and have to make priorities of which problem to address first. We all, as human beings, may seem to offend others when that may not have been the intention at all. These incidents need to be viewed in their entire context, before judging someone's behavior as unacceptable. All I know is that Mr. Manis is completely dedicated to his job, and attempts to do what is right and acceptable in all areas of his life. I am sure that he will learn from these experiences, as we all do when we make mistakes. Don't be too quick to judge without knowing all the facts.

Officer Manis was only expressing his personal opinion, an opinion protected by the 1st amendment to our constitution. I am sure there are other people who dislike stupid fun fest as much as the police officers who are forced to work the event every year. What Officer Manis writes on his "personal" my space page is his business. He did not harm anyone physically by writing what he did and therefor should be allowed to return to work. As for those people who find fun fest a wonderful event, everyone is entitled to an opinion, but get over yourselves. Officer Manis, I suppory you and your right of free speech. I also want to thank you for putting your life on the line every day to protect me and those who have forgotten what kind of job you actually do. Thank you!

I can empathize with the officer venting on Myspace. But he should not expect privacy when he posted in a public forum. He could have put his Myspace blog on "friends" only newtwork, which would have given him some limited privacy. But a person who deals with the public, such as an officer or politician, should not expect privacy if they air their views in public. Unfortunately, we live in a society that cannot separate one's private thoughts from their public jobs. Thoughts and feelings are not crimes. One should not take a Myspace blog at face value any way, for it is a place where many put on a persona...not their real self, and sometimes the line gets blurred. And that is where posting and getting to "Know" someone can even be dangerous...you don't really know them. You only know the side they choose to reveal, which may or may not be who they really are. Child molesters use such accounts. They can build up this nice persona in order to lure a child. Law enforcement officials have busted these perverts by pretending to be a child. So don't believe everything you read in such a forum. The person you think you know could be an axe murderer!!!!

As someone who has been soundly trounced for private postings in my 'personal and private' online diary, I can see this officer's point of view.

My Space and other blogs like it are about the user's opinions- a spot where they can post their feelings, an outlet for the frustrations of the day.

This man has 1st amendment rights- he can say whatever he wants to about anything he wants to in his My Space- short of yelling 'fire' in a crowded theater- and you can't force him to stop, nor would it be right to take his job for getting his frustrations out in a non-physical setting.

Mostly, if you do not like what is written in his My Space, DO NOT READ HIS MY SPACE!

And remember, opinions are like belly-buttons (or something else...)- everyone has one. Please allow this officer to have his. Or maybe the woman could get her own My Space and voice her own opinions about KPD.

Well, as walking a mile in the shoes of an officer sounds like a "fair" thing to do, I still have no respect for people who dwell into someone's myspace comments and effects their job for it. It's an absurd thing, because until information on what exactly the comments said, would be the true case to deem it as a threat or not. Some people like to bend the truth and examine every last word just to find one flaw and attack the author for it. From the sounds of it, Manis was a respectable man, and I highly doubt that the police have business monitoring his myspace account. If by warrant, then someone must have complained about it. Why would someone complain about a myspace post to the police, instead of a myspace administrator and have the article removed? I know why... Just to make a nuciance out of someone they don't like. There will always be people who are out to get someone for something petty like this, and it just so happened to happen to Manis. I'm pretty sure that if I decided to check the myspace pages of the rest of the KPD before this incident, I could probably find worse. And if router logs were pulled... I'm pretty sure you'll get the point. I believe Manis has fallen victim to socio-stupidity, and I can only hope for the best. (I'm not sure wether my first comment was submitted correctly, so this one was a follow-up)

This is a prime example of how nit picky our system has become. When a man who may or may not face a bullet everyday but is willing to put his life on the line for the safety and security of another, becomes a tad bit angry and goes into his "MYSPACE" and blabs about it i think its his god given right to sometimes blow off some steam we all do it from time to time. He is a POLICE OFFICER regardless of what he said on his Private Myspace Profile he still get up every morning putas on a Bullet Proof Vest and goes to work regardless of danger and risk of DEATH. Protects the law abiding citizens of Kingsport TN. And were gonna nit pick at some senseless rambelings on a MYSPACE. he should dang well be able and allowed from time to time stick his head in a locker and scream, As well he did Give it a break.

"Don't argue with stupid people...they'll drag you down to their level and beat you"--that's Mr. Manis' profile headline on the Myspace account in question. The profile itself is currently in "private" mode, meaning only Mr. Manis' approved friends may view his entire webpage. Ive known quite a few officers who, when the uniform is worn, transform from "all-around nice guy" to "intolerant bully." Walking a mile in an officers shoes is a bit irrelevant in this case. Police officers have a duty of respecting the public they are required to protect. They are held accountable for their actions, just as I am everyday I clock in for my job. No one forced any of these men or women to pursue a life of crime prevention. A badge and a gun most certainly does not earn anyone the right to abuse the "power" that is bestowed upon said person. This definitely should not be handled as an "inside investigation." Those of us who pay the salaries of the Kingsport police officers have every right to know the facts of this case.

I have known Officer Manis for nearly all of his life. He is a very intelligent, composed, and kind person. Though I haven't had a great deal of interaction with him in his professional duties, as an individual I can certainly vouch for his character. Nonetheless, if he did make any statements that should warrant this investigation, I would hope that his words have been misconstrued into something they are not. With a position in law enforcement comes a great deal of frustration and stress that most citizens could never comprehend. Therefore, I believe passing judgment on Manis, before knowing all of the facts, is unfair and ignorant. As it stands, Manis may have made the mistake of voicing his opinion in a public forum, but this is still strictly an investigation. Furthermore, if anyone wants to question the integrity of the Kingsport Police Department, they should walk a mile in the shoes of an officer, and then they would know that they passed unmerited assessment too soon.

I reported this police officer to Captain Swayze. On the night of the Crazy 8's race this officer was very unprofessional in his behavior. My daughter works at the mall and I had to pick her up that evening at 10pm. All the entrances to the mall were blocked off due to the race. I asked this officer how I could get to the mall to pick her up. He gave a very hateful repsonse and basically let me know that the safety of my daughter was not his concern but I was not getting to the mall to pick her up. I asked him for his name and told him I was going to report his behavior and his response to that was that he didn't care what I did. So I applaud the decision to suspend this officer and let it publicly be known. He obviously needs to go through some more training courses.

What has happened to the fine police force of this city? In the history of this fine city, I have never noted such problems as we have had the last few years.It seems that they are issues every few months with the department.Mr. Campbell needs to form a task force and get to the bottom of these problems.It may be time to have the TBI come in and take a look around.Does anyone talk to the rank and file to find out what is going on? There are many fine officers in this department and they may be able to shed some light on the problems.