A sheriff in Missouri is firing back at a now-suspended newspaper columnist who claimed to experience what “minority motorists” must feel when getting pulled over by cops, saying he was lucky he didn’t “get shot” during a recent traffic stop.

Boone County Sheriff Dwayne Carey has refuted a June 30 opinion column by longtime Columbia Daily Tribune columnist Bill Clark, who was stopped 10 days earlier for failing to use his turn signal. Clark, an 84-year-old white man, suggested in the column that he might’ve been pulled over because of his “liberal bumper stickers,” an obvious sign of an “aging hippie with a weed habit,” he claimed.

“I’m lucky I didn’t get shot,” Clark wrote. “Sirens wailed and when I stopped, two officers were out of the sheriff’s vehicle. When I reached over to turn off the radio and then take my wallet out of my pocket to produce the driver’s license and insurance card, I realized my hands were not at the top of my steering wheel. Danger lurked and official arrogance was to follow.”

Clark, who claimed he received a “good dose of arrogance” during the stop, said he understands how someone could lose respect for cops after the stop, saying his life “seemed to be in danger” during the interaction with two deputies.

“When you are in the shoes of the minority, you learn a lot more about their journey,” Clark wrote.

But a review of dashcam video told a different story, according to Carey, who contacted the newspaper’s managing editor, Charles Westmoreland, to disagree with Clark’s version of events. Carey also released the 11-minute video and penned an 1,800-word response to Clark’s column, blasting it as “sensationalism” and disputed the claims of “arrogance” on behalf of the deputies.

“In his column he indicates, ‘I’m lucky I didn’t get shot,’” Carey wrote. “There is never a weapon drawn, the deputies don’t take a position of cover, there are no loud verbal commands, no panic or anything else for that matter by the deputies. Would you agree this is sensationalism at its best? I say yes!”

One deputy clearly identified herself and the reason for the stop, Carey said, adding that “sir” and “thank you” was used on at least two occasions.

“I kept waiting for the ‘official arrogance’ that Ol’ Clark wrote about, but I only observed a professional young deputy do exactly what I expect her to do; her job in a manner consistent to our motto,” Carey’s response continued. “The field training deputy is on the passenger side of Ol’ Clark’s vehicle listening to the interaction, which is common for a two person unit and especially for a deputy in training.”

Clark later raises his voice and becomes argumentative, Carey said, clearly indicating he’s disinterested in discussing the matter further by asking for the ticket on two separate occasions. He then signs the ticket before the deputy tries to remind Clark not to move his vehicle once initially stopping for police since that may indicate he’s trying to flee the scene. Clark, in his column, said he was blocking traffic once initially stopped and had to roll through an intersection.

“The deputy finishes her contact by telling Ol’ Clark to drive safely and she then thanks him,” Carey continued. “The nerve of law enforcement these days! Both deputies walk back to the patrol vehicle and again no inappropriate conversation, no derogatory comments about Ol’ Clark, no laughing or joking, just professional conduct.”

Carey said he felt compelled to respond to Clark’s column because of an abundance of outlets “for anyone to say anything,” whether true or not.

“There is no controlling it and rarely does anyone challenge it, as it seems like a losing battle,” Carey’s response continued. “I have been guilty of letting things slide myself. Social media reigns supreme for these inaccuracies, closely followed by television media. Apparently you can also find it in some columns in the Tribune! What happened to integrity, as I am afraid it is becoming a thing of the past?”

Meanwhile, the newspaper’s managing editor said in a response published Thursday that Clark has been suspended indefinitely and his column won’t appear again until further review.

“In the video I saw two professional deputies performing their job by the book, and a somewhat confused and irritated motorist, unaware of what he had done to draw the attention of local law enforcement,” Westmoreland wrote. “It certainly wasn’t worth writing a scathing column about, and the Tribune should not have published it. For that I apologize to the Boone County Sheriff’s Department and readers who feel they were misled by Clark’s column.”

Clark will write an apology to run in the newspaper Saturday, Westmoreland said.

“I can’t unpublish Clark’s column, but I will rebuke it,” Westmoreland wrote. “I personally don’t believe Clark was threatened by the deputies in any way, but I wasn’t inside his head and can’t say he didn’t feel threatened. I saw a deputy standing behind the car with his hands on his hips. Clark saw a deputy in his rearview mirror with his right hand next to his firearm. Perspectives differ from one person to the next.”