Former Hollywood Police Chief Richard Witt should be enjoying a semblance of vindication right now. He tried to clean up the PD during his tenure and was fired for his efforts. Now some of the officers he tried to expunge are part of a scandal involving an FBI mafia sting. His whistleblower's lawsuit with the city, which by all rights he should win, is expected to go to trial in July. But Witt, who lives in north Florida, has been hit with some very bad news. He was diagnosed last week with a particulary virulent form of lung cancer.
The news will probably be in the newspapers tomorrow. The Pulp obtained a copy of the e-mail he sent to his friends and family. It speaks for itself:
"For weeks I wrote to many of you about 'Betty's Great Adventure.' Today I am writing to let you know about my own, probably not so great adventure. This past Thursday March 22, 2007 while a patient at Florida Memorial Hospital-Ormond Beach, I was diagnosed as having Small Cell Lung Cancer. Small cell lung cancer is most often associated with smokers or in my case former smokers, I quit in 1992. In any case the worse characteristic of small cell lung cancer is that it metastasizes to other organs very rapidly. I can not tell you what my status is at this time as I will not complete my CT scans of the other organs until Monday morning. Later that day I will meet with the oncologist, Dr. Paul Dodd, for the 2nd time and he will begin to map out a course of treatment that he assures me will include Chemo Therapy. I don't know anything more at this time beyond what I have written. Please over the next few weeks and months keep Betty and I as well as the other members of my family, 3 daughters, 1 step daughter, 3 grandchildren and my sister in your fondest thoughts and prayers."
