All good questions to which I don't have a well informed answer.   It does raise the same question that is going now over the Supreme Court opening.   Just how much do we want to politicize our justice system?   Now the Sheriff is an elected position, but he's also a professional with both power and limitations that go with his/her office.     The public does not have the sole right to remove him/her from office if the courts/professional review finds he has broken the law, IMO.     

I have no idea of his guilt of innocence as to his involvement at the compound.    I'm told that a sheriff in one county does not go into another in full uniform - without informing the host county.    I don't know if it's official protocol or a well accepted courtesy.    If he did this with the local force and they didn't complain, I'd think he'd be fine?  But as you said, this is also a state/fed issue.....