Purple Reign
Starter
Shaq attacks crime
Victor Reklaitis
vreklaitis@newsadvance.com
Tuesday, August 9, 2005
Basketball star Shaquille O’Neal has set his size-22 foot in Lynchburg, Bedford and Roanoke this week, through his new affiliation with the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office.
On Monday, the Miami Heat center suggested that he might one day work full-time as a police officer - and even live in this region.
“My parents always told me to have a plan,” Shaq said. “When I was in high school, my plan was to go to college.
When I was in college, my plan was to go to the NBA. Now that I’m in the NBA, I have to work on another plan.”
The 12-time All-Star speculated that when his basketball days are over, “I’ll be a sheriff somewhere, or I’ll be a U.S. marshal, or I’ll be living here in Bedford County.”
Later, Shaq added with a smile, “I look forward to purchasing a lot of acres in Bedford County.”
The basketball star’s comments came after a ceremony Monday in a Roanoke courtroom, where he received a plaque and honorary badge from the U.S. Marshals Service.
He is visiting the area for about four days to train with Blue Ridge Thunder, a Bedford County Sheriff’s Office task force that fights Internet crimes against children.
Shaq is also recording public service announcements as the national spokesman for the Bedford-based Safe Surfin’ Foundation, which supports Blue Ridge Thunder’s educational programs.
His training on Sunday included posing online as a teen girl, according to a Safe Surfin’ Foundation spokeswoman. But Shaq declined to discuss that investigative work with reporters.
“I can’t tell you all of my secrets,” he said. “I’m sorry.”
Shaq also carried a .40-caliber Glock pistol on Monday, having earned a certification with the gun that morning at a shooting range in Bedford.
Bedford County Sheriff Mike Brown said the Heat center fired other guns as well, such as a shotgun, submachine gun and sniper rifle. He shot at an expert level, which Brown said was no surprise given his previous work with police departments in Miami and Los Angeles.
Shaq is now an official Bedford County deputy, after getting sworn in Sunday. A local body shop has altered a sheriff’s office SUV free of charge to accommodate his 7-foot, 1-inch and 325-pound frame. Brown said the vehicle will be used just by Shaq, who is expected to make annual or semi-annual visits to the area.
While anyone who might get pulled over some day by Deputy O’Neal is likely to be stunned, people who met the star this week are thrilled.
“It really touched me that he cared so much about (me) and my story,” said Amanda Staubs, the victim of an Internet crime who will appear in a public service announcement with Shaq.
Staubs said the star shows “a lot of heart” in working for no fee for the Safe Surfin’ Foundation. Now a 19-year-old Leesburg resident, she was abducted and abused in Winchester by a 37-year-old man she met online about five years ago.
The public service announcements were filmed Sunday at Bedford’s courthouse and Liberty University’s Vines Center, which led to a meeting with a Lynchburg celebrity, the Rev. Jerry Falwell.
“He’s a very sweet-spirited and humble man,” Falwell said of Shaq. The basketball star even played a little ball with one of Falwell’s grandsons, who was celebrating his 8th birthday.
“The workout ended with him picking up little Paul, who had the basketball in his hands, lifting him over his head and letting him dunk it,” Falwell said. “Shaq is his hero. He will never forget (Sunday).”
After wrapping up at Liberty, Shaq had dinner Sunday at a restaurant off Graves Mill Road, Charley’s. He ate four chicken Caesar salads, with extra chicken and tomatoes.
“He was just as cute and as nice as can be. He was just a gentle giant,” said M.J. Pearson, who owns the restaurant with her husband. She also said, “He’s definitely (the) biggest and tallest celebrity we’ve ever had.”
Shaq was announced as the Safe Surfin’ Foundation’s national spokesman in March. Brown, the sheriff, got in touch with the big man through a friend in the clothing business who deals with California sports stars.
Shaq’s visit is expected to run through Wednesday. The star’s schedule is in flux and somewhat secret, according to the sheriff’s office, in part because of intense interest from news media. Besides local outlets, national media such as ESPN’s SportsCenter are reporting on his visit to Bedford County.
The star himself said, with a laugh, “I’ve been here a couple days, and I’m not going to tell you how long I’ll be here, because I don’t want people looking for me.”
But a few moments later, Shaq was signing autographs in the courtroom for fans, including for a senior judge’s three grandsons.
“I just like him and admire him and my grandsons wanted to see him,” U.S. District Judge James Turk said. Staff writer Blair Goldstein contributed to this report.
Victor Reklaitis
vreklaitis@newsadvance.com
Tuesday, August 9, 2005
Basketball star Shaquille O’Neal has set his size-22 foot in Lynchburg, Bedford and Roanoke this week, through his new affiliation with the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office.
On Monday, the Miami Heat center suggested that he might one day work full-time as a police officer - and even live in this region.
“My parents always told me to have a plan,” Shaq said. “When I was in high school, my plan was to go to college.
When I was in college, my plan was to go to the NBA. Now that I’m in the NBA, I have to work on another plan.”
The 12-time All-Star speculated that when his basketball days are over, “I’ll be a sheriff somewhere, or I’ll be a U.S. marshal, or I’ll be living here in Bedford County.”
Later, Shaq added with a smile, “I look forward to purchasing a lot of acres in Bedford County.”
The basketball star’s comments came after a ceremony Monday in a Roanoke courtroom, where he received a plaque and honorary badge from the U.S. Marshals Service.
He is visiting the area for about four days to train with Blue Ridge Thunder, a Bedford County Sheriff’s Office task force that fights Internet crimes against children.
Shaq is also recording public service announcements as the national spokesman for the Bedford-based Safe Surfin’ Foundation, which supports Blue Ridge Thunder’s educational programs.
His training on Sunday included posing online as a teen girl, according to a Safe Surfin’ Foundation spokeswoman. But Shaq declined to discuss that investigative work with reporters.
“I can’t tell you all of my secrets,” he said. “I’m sorry.”
Shaq also carried a .40-caliber Glock pistol on Monday, having earned a certification with the gun that morning at a shooting range in Bedford.
Bedford County Sheriff Mike Brown said the Heat center fired other guns as well, such as a shotgun, submachine gun and sniper rifle. He shot at an expert level, which Brown said was no surprise given his previous work with police departments in Miami and Los Angeles.
Shaq is now an official Bedford County deputy, after getting sworn in Sunday. A local body shop has altered a sheriff’s office SUV free of charge to accommodate his 7-foot, 1-inch and 325-pound frame. Brown said the vehicle will be used just by Shaq, who is expected to make annual or semi-annual visits to the area.
While anyone who might get pulled over some day by Deputy O’Neal is likely to be stunned, people who met the star this week are thrilled.
“It really touched me that he cared so much about (me) and my story,” said Amanda Staubs, the victim of an Internet crime who will appear in a public service announcement with Shaq.
Staubs said the star shows “a lot of heart” in working for no fee for the Safe Surfin’ Foundation. Now a 19-year-old Leesburg resident, she was abducted and abused in Winchester by a 37-year-old man she met online about five years ago.
The public service announcements were filmed Sunday at Bedford’s courthouse and Liberty University’s Vines Center, which led to a meeting with a Lynchburg celebrity, the Rev. Jerry Falwell.
“He’s a very sweet-spirited and humble man,” Falwell said of Shaq. The basketball star even played a little ball with one of Falwell’s grandsons, who was celebrating his 8th birthday.
“The workout ended with him picking up little Paul, who had the basketball in his hands, lifting him over his head and letting him dunk it,” Falwell said. “Shaq is his hero. He will never forget (Sunday).”
After wrapping up at Liberty, Shaq had dinner Sunday at a restaurant off Graves Mill Road, Charley’s. He ate four chicken Caesar salads, with extra chicken and tomatoes.
“He was just as cute and as nice as can be. He was just a gentle giant,” said M.J. Pearson, who owns the restaurant with her husband. She also said, “He’s definitely (the) biggest and tallest celebrity we’ve ever had.”
Shaq was announced as the Safe Surfin’ Foundation’s national spokesman in March. Brown, the sheriff, got in touch with the big man through a friend in the clothing business who deals with California sports stars.
Shaq’s visit is expected to run through Wednesday. The star’s schedule is in flux and somewhat secret, according to the sheriff’s office, in part because of intense interest from news media. Besides local outlets, national media such as ESPN’s SportsCenter are reporting on his visit to Bedford County.
The star himself said, with a laugh, “I’ve been here a couple days, and I’m not going to tell you how long I’ll be here, because I don’t want people looking for me.”
But a few moments later, Shaq was signing autographs in the courtroom for fans, including for a senior judge’s three grandsons.
“I just like him and admire him and my grandsons wanted to see him,” U.S. District Judge James Turk said. Staff writer Blair Goldstein contributed to this report.
