Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey (Florida) warned protestors at a June 12 news conference that law enforcement would “kill you, graveyard dead” if they become violent toward deputies. His remarks have drawn criticism from the ACLU of Florida. Gov. Ron DeSantis said the state has drawn a clear line between protesting and rioting. The ACLU also warned sheriffs that their departments could be on the hook for millions of dollars in the event their officers use excessive force.
"If you hit one of us, you're going to the hospital and jail, and most likely get bitten by one of our big, beautiful dogs that we have here," Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey said at a June 12 news conference.
"If you throw a brick, a fire bomb or point a gun at one of our deputies, we will be notifying your family where to collect your remains, because we will kill you, graveyard dead. We're not going to play."
“Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey’s violent and provocative threat to ‘kill’ protesters exercising their First Amendment rights is extremely un-American, and unbecoming for an elected leader sworn to protect the public,” the state’s ACLU chapter said in a post to social media.
Ron DeSantis DeFascist Says Floridians Have Right to Hit Protesters With Cars
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has said Floridians have a right to hit protesters with their car if they need to “flee for your safety.”
DeSantis was speaking on The Rubin Report on Wednesday when he said: “We also have a policy that if you’re driving on one of those streets and a mob comes and surrounds your vehicle, and threatens you, you have a right to flee for your safety.
“And so if you drive off and you hit one of these people, that’s their fault for impinging on you.”
More Importantly:
A court in 2017 found that driving a car into a protest was not an act of self-defense, as James Alex Fields Jr., was found guilty of murder for hitting and killing civil rights activist Heather Heyer, a counter-protester at the Unite the Right Rally in 2017. Now, the governor of Florida is telling people they have a right to hit protesters with their car if they feel attacked.
