We showed the deputy's dash camera video to four candidates who want to replace Sheriff Jack Merritt, who is not running for re-election.

Three basically came to the same conclusion: the 22-year-old woman did the right thing by waiting to stop at an open business at 2:30 in the morning.

"She did what she needed to do to protect herself," said Mike Ramon, a Democratic candidate. But they also think the deputies acted appropriately.

"This was a situation where the officer was using his best judgment, I think," said Gene Thomlinson, a Republican candidate.

"She did the right thing; she went to a well-lit parking lot. On the other hand, the deputies did the right thing also," said Republican candidate Jim Arnott, the current chief deputy of the Greene County Sheriff's Department.

But don't put Republican candidate Mark Webb, a retired Springfield police officer, in that same category.

"If I'm the sheriff today and those are my officers out there, I'm going to start looking for ways to take creative action -- and maybe provide training," said Webb.

As Webb dissected the tape second-by-second, he had questions and concerns.

"Real crooks run; they shut their lights off when they're trying to get away, and speed," said Webb.

He couldn't figure out why the put handcuffs on Vanessa Kimery.

"Why are they handcuffing her would be a question I want to know," he said.

He also questioned the way deputies searched her car.

"He's searching her car. We always ask for consent," said Webb.

And he couldn't figure out their overall demanor.

"Their first contact is 'Hands up! Hands up! Turn around!' Not, 'Ma'am I'm with the Greene County sheriff's office. Please can I see your ID,'" he said.

Webb believes the deputies were doing their job as they've been taught but says that's part of the problem, because he says these types of tactics are usually reserved for high-risk situations and not routine traffic stops.

"If it's my officer these making these stops, I prefer a more citizen- friendly approach," he said.

We extended this same request to Democratic candidate Jerry McGeeHee. Because of an illness, he wasn't able to watch the video but he says, from what he saw on the news accounts, he would have told his daughter to do the same thing. He wouldn't render a judgment on the deputies.

Because of the overwhelming response, a lot of these candidates believed this could become a political issue in this election year.