That sheriff has since been arrested and indicted on felony counts in an unrelated sexual harassment and whistleblower retaliation case. He has also been charged with aggravated perjury for allegedly lying to a grand jury. EFF filed public records requests with Johnson County to obtain a more definitive account of events.
At least his side of the story has a happy ending.
The rest of the story is bonkers, though. The headline could not possibly do it justice. This is one you need to sit down and read with a cup of tea.
It's why I will never understand the "just burn it down" crowd. That burn is going to take decades, lifetimes to happen. It's going to be slow and agonizing for millions as civil rights dwindle and fascism keeps creeping further into every corner of the country, until that becomes the next generations' new normal.