On Monday afternoon, May 16, 2011, the Lancaster County issued tan Crown Victoria of acting Sheriff Mark Reese was observed in the parking lot of the Lancaster County GOP headquarters at the corner of Columbia Avenue and South West End Avenue. Curious as to why the acting Sheriff would be at a political office during the work day, we circled the block and pulled into the lot.
While in the process of taking photographs of the scene, acting Sheriff Reese walked down the sidewalk from the South West End side of the building, carrying an arm full of "Reese for Sheriff" yard signs. As he walked into the parking lot, he realized he was being photographed and immediately dropped the signs, leaning them up against another vehicle parked in the lot. Curiously, he then stood with his back to the camera for several minutes.
Apparently realizing that we weren't going to leave, he walked over and asked who we were. I reminded him that he knew us as he had run the serial number of a pistol used in a shooting several years earlier and provided us with information related to the purchaser and seller. We then asked Reese, "So, are you campaigning on county time?" He responded, "No." We asked, "Isn't that your car parked over there?" Reese then responded, "Yes, but I am on my way home."
Belying his statement that he was doing nothing improper, Reese then abandonded his yard signs completely and went back inside the GOP headquarters. Reese did not come out of the building again until after we departed.
