'Targeted and punished:' Cleveland County Sheriff's Office critic speaks out after arrest

"I feel like I'm being targeted and punished."

A vocal critic of the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office is speaking out for the first time since his controversial arrest last week, describing it as an attack on his freedom of speech by the very agency he has been scrutinizing for months.

From Facebook Watchdog to Wanted Man

Michael Reynolds, a retired officer, former reserve deputy, and current security officer, has dedicated his life to public service.

He is also the creator of the "Wilder News" Facebook page, which he uses to expose potential corruption.

Now, he says Sheriff Chris Amason is retaliating against him with a blatant abuse of power to silence him.

"I think they were trying to make a point to me and their other critics that, you know, you need to just stop messing with us," Reynolds said.

A misdemeanor warrant filed by the sheriff's investigators led to what Reynolds calls his questionable arrest on Jan. 23.

Swift Arrest Raises Questions

Reynolds said he had heard rumors that the sheriff’s office was building a case against him, but he said he believes accusing him of illegally posting confidential information is a stretch.

"Why is somebody that I'm a critic of investigating me? That just floors me," he said.

He argues that the misdemeanor complaints are nothing more than payback, pointing to the level of response for his arrest—three officers showing up to his job, where he serves as a school security officer.

"You would think that if I was this hardened criminal and they were, you know, worried about safety, that I would have been handcuffed," Reynolds said.

Reynolds was taken to two different jails for a single warrant and interrogated for hours about the source of his information.

He maintains that the information he posted was public record but said investigators continued pressing him.

"I was worried for my safety at that point and still in questioning," he said.

Concerns Over Search and Seizure

Reynolds is also questioning the legitimacy of the search and seizure of his phone at the time of his arrest.

He claims investigators combed through his messages looking for a conspiracy—but he insists the only conspiracy exists within the sheriff’s office, which he said he believes is working to build a bogus case against him.

Sheriff Amason Silent Amid Transparency Promises

Sheriff Amason has not responded to repeated requests for comment.

During his recent campaign, Amason promised honesty, integrity, and transparency in public office.

News 9 remains hopeful he will soon agree to take our questions.

Legal Missteps and Civil Rights Concerns

This case is sparking debate over civil rights violations and procedural mistakes.

The complaints against Reynolds were mistakenly filed as charges with the district attorney, but they were later dropped and reclassified as miscellaneous.

Reynolds continues to assert that his First Amendment rights are under attack and vows to fight what he believes is an unjust effort to silence him.