CAUTION: GRAPHIC LANGUAGE
MISHAWAKA, Ind. — Following a REAL News Michiana investigation uncovering an extremely racist video posted to the social media account of Mayor Dave Wood’s son, Joe Wood, local media outlets WSBT, ABC57 and WNDU all ignored key details in an apparent effort to protect Mayor Dave Wood.
RNM uncovered and published the racist video on November 10th. In the video, Joe Wood is in his father’s garage where two other white men are sitting in his father’s Mustang convertible wearing Dave Wood for Mayor visors on their heads. Joe Wood pretends to be a police officer approaching the vehicle, calling the driver a “n*****” multiple times before he draws a gun and pretends to kill the occupants of the vehicle. WSBT, ABC57 and WNDU all ignored the facts that this happened at Dave Wood’s home, using Dave Wood’s car and wearing Dave Wood campaign gear.
Further, none of the outlets chose to use the video in their coverage, despite both ABC57 and WNDU requesting and receiving approval from REAL News Michiana to air the video. Both ABC57 and WNDU sent email requests to RNM. RNM responded by telling the TV News outlets they could air the video as long as they used standard procedures in attributing the source, which is RNM. Those emails can be seen below.
The outlets also ran with a bizarre statement from Mayor Dave Wood claiming his son’s racism was a result of a mental health condition in which he is seeking help.
Both Joe Wood and one of the other men in the video are City of Mishawaka employees. Both have now been suspended indefinitely pending an investigation. What ABC57, WNDU and WSBT failed to mention was this is a PAID suspension. And, as city employees, they both serve in their positions at the discretion of Mayor Dave Wood.
THE VIDEO
In the video posted to Snapchat in July of 2022, Joe Wood is wearing a Mishawaka Utilities shirt when he pretends to be a police officer approaching a vehicle after a traffic stop.
“Hey n*****. License and registration.” Joe Wood says in the beginning of the video while the theme song from “Cops” plays in the background.
“Is that good there officer?” A man says while handing over his ID to Wood.
Joe Wood responds by calling the man a “n*****” again.
“Freeze n*****. Got a gun in the car? Freeze n*****. Hands on the goddamn steering wheel n*****. You’re gonna get shot n*****.” Wood says to the man.
Wood then pulls out a gun and pretends to kill both occupants of the vehicle.
“He’s got a gun! He’s got a gun! Pew! Pew! Pew!” Joe Wood says.
HISTORY OF DRINKING WITH DAD THEN DRIVING AND A MISHAWAKA POLICE COVER UP
In September, 22-year-old Joe Wood was drinking with his father, Mishawaka Mayor Dave Wood, prior to crashing his truck in South Bend and being arrested for drunk driving. According to witnesses, Joe Wood was drinking with his father at a Notre Dame tailgate party. After leaving the tailgate, he was speeding through a South Bend neighborhood, blew through a stop sign, rolled his vehicle and smashed into multiple parked cars.
Mayor Dave Wood came out with a statement shortly after the accident claiming his son is suffering from mental health issues. However, that arrest came less than a year after the Mishawaka Police Department covered up a drunk driving incident involving Joe Wood in which the younger Wood had also been drinking with his father.
On October 28th, 2022, a Mishawaka Police Officer pulled Joe Wood over for suspicion of OWI. In bodycam video obtained by RNM, the initiating officer says he can smell alcohol on the suspect. Wood is also seen stumbling out of his car. At the beginning of the stop, Wood almost immediately starts asking for the shift commander, Captain Eric Beckham. When Beckham shows up, Joe Wood excitedly calls out his name and walks over to him. Within seconds, Beckham tells Wood to lock up his car as it is being left on scene. He then tells responding officers that he will “take care of it.” Beckham then drove Wood to his dad’s house, who happens to be the Mayor of Mishawaka. While every officer on scene appears to have had their bodycameras running during the interaction, there was no video captured by Captain Beckham.
According to sources, Captain Beckham and Mayor Wood have an extremely close relationship. Sources say Beckham is on the short list to be appointed by the Mayor as the next MPD Chief.
DAVE WOOD AND THE DEMOCRATS
While Mayor Dave Wood is technically a Republican, he recently funded and endorsed Democrats in City races. Last week, the St. Joseph County Democrat Party sent out a mailer touting Wood’s endorsement of Democrat Mishawaka City Clerk Debbie Ladyga-Block. RNM reached out to Block for comment, she never responded.
According to sources, Dave Wood was also seen at the Mishawaka Democrat election night watch party. He did not attend the Republican event.
Want to keep seeing the news the legacy media just won’t report? REAL News Michiana relies on member subscribers to keep going. As a subscriber, you’ll get an RNM mug and invites to special events. Help us continue to expose corruption and report on the news conservatives care about by subscribing here.
Perhaps you could interview Louann Hazen? Shameful and unconscionable what Dave Wood did to her after over a decade of faithful service. She should freely unlock all of the skeletons in his closet.
She likely has a dump truck full of fertile dirt on Ladyga-Block as well. DL-B is arguably the most cunning and tenured member of the county’s old school Democrat Machine. Many local observers have described her as someone who made Owen Morgan look like St. Butch. Sunlight needs to be shed on this corrupt (?) cabal, RINO Wood included.