Weston, FL –-(Ammoland.com)- The wife of a Weston, Florida city commissioner filed a police report after a Florida man posted a meme to a Facebook group.
Peter Van Antwerpen, a resident of Weston, was upset that some in the people in the Weston government joined a lawsuit to eliminate preemption law in Florida.
Preemption is the idea that state law trumps local laws. This idea prevents counties such as Broward County from passing local gun ban laws and mandatory gun buybacks. Some residents are concerned if the courts remove the preemption clause that their county will adopt an “assault weapons ban.”
Van Antwerpen posted a meme of Charleston Heston holding up a rifle with the caption “from my cold dead hands.” The picture and quote originate from the 2000 NRA convention where Heston gave an impassioned speech about gun rights.
In the social media post by Van Antwerpen a few anti-gun politicians were named. Van Antwerpen wondered if the gun banning politicians were going to lead the confiscation effort in person. Nowhere in his post were any threats issued.
Van Antwerpen wrote:
“Enufsaid…..let them come!”
“Since you are on the lawsuit Peggy Brown, Dan Stermer and Byron Jaffe I hope you are the ones to come confiscate my weapons.”
Van Antwerpen is also a well-known philanthropist in the community. He is involved in local politics fighting against liberal corruption. The semi-retired executive is a strong believer in the second amendment and the Constitution.
Beth Jaffe, who is the wife of city commissioner Bryon Jaffe, felt that the meme was threatening her life. Ms. Jaffe contacted the district office of the Broward County Sheriff’s Department and asked for them to investigate Van Antwerpen.
Four members from the newly formed “Threat Assessment Unit” showed up banging on Van Antwerpen’s door. The deputies entered the house with full tactical gear. The police did not have any warrants.
Van Antwerpen, in a bath towel, greeted the members of the unit. The investigator’s started to question Van Antwerpen about the social media post. He is a major supporter of law enforcement, so he chose to answer their questions.
Van Antwerpen explained the meme and asked the lead investigator if the meme broke any laws. The Sheriff’s Deputy admitted that it did not break any laws. The investigator concluded that Van Antwerpen was not a danger to anyone. He gave Van Antwerpen the police report number.
“I post a comment,” Van Antwerpen told AmmoLand. “It was one of many. It wasn’t even the worst. It just had a meme attached to it.”
Van Antwerpen filed to get the police report, but it took the Broward County Sheriff’s Department three weeks to supply the police report. He did not get a reason for the delay, and AmmoLand’s calls and emails to the Broward County Sheriff’s Department were not returned.
Van Antwerpen noticed that Beth Jaffe took out the complaint against his post. Van Antwerpen’s wife and Jaffe have run-ins in the past. Jaffe and Van Antwerpen are on opposite sides of the political spectrum. Antwerpen took to Facebook to highlight what he sees as a personal vendetta against his family.
“A city commission members wife, Beth Jaffe, who has a well known antipathy for my wife, myself and my family, sent an email to the threat assessment division of Broward Sheriffs Office and over a week later BSO deputies in full tactical gear showed up at our house to interrogate us on this post,” Van Antwerpen wrote on Facebook.
Another person Jaffe named in the complaint is Janet Klomburg. Klomburg posted in the comments, “I’m with ya brother!”
Klomburg told AmmoLand that she thinks Beth Jaffe abused her power. She said that Jaffe has a history of abusing her husband’s authority and using dirty tricks against her political adversaries.
Klomburg, who is a small business owner, was looking into claims of voter suppression of conservatives in Broward county. This investigation put Klomburg in Jaffe’s crosshairs.
“What they did was ruined my business in Weston,” Klomburg told AmmoLand. “She destroyed my business. She destroyed my name. She called me a white supremacist, a bigot, and a racist. “
According to Klomburg shortly after Jaffe’s accusations, she started to receive death threats by phone. AmmoLand was able to verify that Klomburg reported death threats. The police were not able to arrest a suspect in the case.
Klomburg and Van Antwerpen both explained to AmmoLand that people in the community are afraid of Jaffe’s wrath. I reached out to several members of the community through Facebook, and all expressed similar thoughts about Jaffe, and said that they did not want to become targets.
One anonymous Democrat stated that she equates what Jaffe did to SWATTING. SWATTING is the practice of pretending to be someone else and calling in a threat in the hopes that a SWAT team responds to the target’s house.
On December 28, 2017, Andrew Finch was shot and killed by police in his home during a SWATTING incident. Prosecutors charged Tyler Raj Barriss with organizing the event he was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
AmmoLand reached out to Beth Jaffe, Bryon Jaffe, and the Broward County Sheriff’s Department. None have returned our calls or emails at the time of publishing.
About John Crump
John is a NRA instructor and a constitutional activist. He is the former CEO of Veritas Firearms, LLC and is the co-host of The Patriot News Podcast which can be found at www.blogtalkradio.com/patriotnews. John has written extensively on the patriot movement including 3%’ers, Oath Keepers, and Militias. In addition to the Patriot movement, John has written about firearms, interviewed people of all walks of life, and on the Constitution. John lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and sons and is currently working on a book on leftist deplatforming methods and can be followed on Twitter at @crumpyss, on Facebook at realjohncrump, or at www.crumpy.com.
I wish to make no comment on Gun Laws or Politics or anything of the sort. BUT I want you to know that Police officers in THIS Town, In MY Town…came to MY House in FULL Tactical Gear to……RETURN MY DAUGHTER’s Purse because she dropped it at the local grocery store across the street. This town is like Mayberry and the officers probably just wanted to make sure everything was alright. We don’t have much crime but we have had suicides and the post was kind of weird, the guy’s posting about his cold dead hands and such. Back the… Read more »
When will these people get charged for false accusations? Since it costs nothing to be wrong I would assume never. Democrats and the left appear to always crying wolf and yet they are never held accountable. Brand these people for what they are, liars. Make them prove their allegations if cops show up at your house, then go back and arrest them for falsifying a report.
At least there’s one good person in Broward County.
“AmmoLand reached out to Beth Jaffe, Bryon Jaffe, and the Broward County Sheriff’s Department. None have returned our calls or emails at the time of publishing.” Ergo, lying coward leftists – what else would you expect?
Molon Labe!
Starting to look like the gestapo will be sent out to prove the direction this country is going in.
The police in My community are NOT Gestapo. When the police came to my house one day to return my daughters purse my new nosy neighbor questioned why the police came to my house. They didn’t believe it was just to return her purse but it’s true. They also stayed with my daughter one day until I got to the scene of her bicycle accident on the way to school many years ago, they had called an ambulance for a scrape. The guy is posting about his “cold dead hands” and he admits to even worse himself so I’m not… Read more »
Just goes to show that the Founders’ warnings against allowing the government to have standing forces was right. Stop supporting the police and military. They are only instruments of oppression.
Things are getting more and more Orwellian. Almost every day we read a post like this. I agree with Mike J that this IS a good ole boy revenge story but unless the people of that community push back it will have a chilling effect on speaking out against 2A infringements. Our Second Amendment rights are under more pressure from these incremental assaults than they are from outright calls for bans. Hopefully some of the friends of Mr. Van Antwerpen will put some pressure on the city to find a new commissioner, possibly as a result of a lawsuit….
@OV, If one is out side the city, one is outside of the jurisdiction of the local PD, local mayor, and local libtard tongue wagger!
IMOA, it doesn’t pass the smell test. It’s another example what we’ve been saying would happen when just anyone can file and abuse the red flag laws for any reason. Van Antwerpen’s meme should have been assessed by a police department lawyer before it was ever acted on. Question is if no laws were broken or threats were found, why the warrantless entry and being detained by a tactical team? Van Antwerpen and Beth Jaffe, who is the wife of city commissioner Bryon Jaffe have a history and Jaffe saw a way to strike back by filing a BS red… Read more »
““Threat Assessment Unit” showed up banging on Van Antwerpen’s door. The deputies entered the house with full tactical gear. The police did not have any warrants.” Florida and several other states have ‘burned’ the Constitution, thrown out the people’s 4th and 5th Amendment ‘rights,’ and their POWERS that be believe they are providing more ‘safety’ for the citizenry? This is but more proof of how abused, misused, and deadly dangerous are these “Red Flag” law abominations! Everyone, knowing this is some UNCONSTITUTIONAL, jack-booted, un-American, attempt to gain ‘power over the people’ like a dictatorial government, should contact their representatives and… Read more »
This is a good ole boy story of a commissioner’s power in local gov’t and police more than a gun rights story. People are abused daily by the good ole boys.
Thanks for the update . Seems the complaint may be libel for filing a false police report .Political privilege was used witch caused the police response.The heavy handed tactics by the police are a clear violation of the 4th amendment. The police fail to investigate. I can imagine the order coming from the top brass who directed the police to the victims home before and investigation was conducted.This may be a hidden blessing that demonstrates why the State of Florida needs to keep local government in check.
When coward country got rid of Scot Israel they didn’t scrape the bottom of the barrel. There are still commies in that county that need their walking papers. I can say I am very happy I don’t live there. How did red flag laws get passed in Fla. with republicans in charge? Just watch the republicans jump ship in the near future.
@Tcat, Flee the cities.
Sadly, Israel may not be gone: https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/fl-ne-special-master-ruling-20190925-mqndpdrsrnd5rm5g75aclhbdni-story.html
The red flag laws should read that those who have a complaint should be the first one into the house after the owners have been dutifully notarized they are coming for the owners guns. Red flag laws are Constitutionally illegal, so the owner is legally authorized to protect their property. Red flag laws are put together by cowards who are afraid of their own shadows but are fully wanting to cause trouble for their innocent victims. There should be a very heavy fine and jail sentence put on each person causing law abiding citizens any form of grief because of… Read more »
No fine or jail sentence required, IF the people demand that the SCOTUS get their butts in gear and read the riot act to ALL states that this mess is NOT in any manner constitutional!! Preaching to the choir on these blogs is not gunna-git-er-dun…..
@Fire, The S. Ct. will not render an opinion before there is a case in controversy brought before them. Many ideas and a lot of information get passed among us here. Maybe someone will come up with a terrific idea and pass it to all of us.
@Vern, Seems like the socialists want to turn “accusation” into instant “conviction”. Seems like a fine way to suppress our traditional thoughts and conservative voices.
Notice that they are, once again, ignoring the Constitution.
As old as I am, I can’t remember when they ever paid attention to it.
Filing a false police report A FELONY… arrest the retard….
then file a wrongful arrest and assault Law Suit with injury both personal, physical, and psychological… bet that will make them sit up and take notice…
Remember an incident a year and a half ago that revealed MUCH about Broward County Florida and their MO? That is a can of rotten worms the like if which we rarely see or hear of. It took nearly a year to make the former rotten sheriff go away, and the SRO who refused to move toward the ginfire inside that school has finaly been charged with some inane offense…. Meanwhile NOT ONE of the sheriff department, school , school district, or even the Feds who coddled, ignored, cheated, and enabled that rotten punk who murdered seventeen people inside that… Read more »
I want yo know why the state police are not in full tactical gear storming the local Jackles that stormed the house without a warrant. Why are they not storming the officers $ and the police chiefs homes at 4:00 AM and taking they computers to see if they are part of a terror group.
Who needs Red Flag laws when this is already possible?
Proving once again that a LibProg with political juice is a far greater threat to the community
than a gun owner. And they do not get armed police raids ala Roger Stone.
Ban Assault Weapons NOW is one group active in passing laws giving Florida localities control to ban any firearm they choose, and impose their own individual laws superior to the laws of the State of Florida. What the wife of a Weston Florida city communist (commissioner) has done against a city resident exercising his first amendment rights comes out of Stalins playbook. Even worse was the action of the Broward County Sheriffs office, sending an assault team to investigate a non threatening facebook post. I hope Mr Van Antwerpen uses all legal means against Jaffee, the privileged wife of a… Read more »
Another good article ruined by spelling and grammatical errors.
Does it take too much time to proof read fellas?
learn to read for CONTENT not style.
SUre, there are some niggly little errors and oversights. consider these are mostly individuals providing content out of their own busy schedues. To hire proofreaders would cost.
My position is that considering what we PAY for our subscriptions to Ammoland we are getting the bargain of the century. Where else can we read the likes of Codrea, Crum, Lott, Workman, Knox, Williams, and dozens of others, for the price we pay?
All those negative votes… feeling guilty, are we? You should know that people judge content partially by its wrapping. When someone can’t spell or use proper grammar, the assumption is that they’re poorly educated; ie, not too bright.
The appearance of Illiteracy reduces one’s credibility. I’m not saying it’s right. I’m just saying that is the way of the world. All anybody knows about you is what you wrote here.
Next they will be sending in the brownshirts (aka antifa) since using the PD didn’t work.
However, while it may be illegal in FL to defend oneself from the blue gang – it is perfectly legal pretty-much anywhere to use whatever force is necessary to defend oneself against mask wearing home invaders.
Now, were these Leo’s part of that 1% that makes the rest look bad or part of the thousands who violate gun owners rights daily?
No I’m not anti police, I just happen to believe that 99% of them are the embodiment of certain European evil a holes from the 30s and 40s and who the US just happened to bring here right after the war.
That statement makes no sense. If “1% make the rest look bad,” but “99% are the embodiment of evil,” do you mean that the 1% is SUPER evil?
Bill, your point is well illustrated by citing European police of the 1930s and 1940s. Our police forces were first established in the 1830s and 40s base on European police, specifically England. Then as now, police departments are established by the senior officials of communities and with pay allocated by the same officials. The loyalty of the police is to those who authorize their pay, not to the private citizens who provide the funds (tax payers). Peace officers became law enforcement officers, actually closer to enforcers for their hiring and paying official authorities. Some police departments acquire sufficient power to… Read more »
Ergo, you have some law enforcement people referring to those not in that line of work as “civilians.” It is asinine, but it is what it is. We are not “civilians” we are citizens.
Looks like another baby Hillary has surfaced. Aside from that little goof, this woman is dangerous and should not hold any type of power.
What the heII was I thinking, the whole damn Democratic Party needs to be ousted from politics!
Reading carefully, it would seem the ONLY power this wretch of a female holds is that she holds over her eunoch “husband” who actually holds a position of elected public office. His refusal to bring her under control proves his stonelessness. HE is possessed of neither the stones nor spine to use his position lawfully and ethically but relies on the ravings and catfights his kept female utlises to effect HER will. Thank God she does NOT hold public office (yet?) She has an overabundance of rotten examples after which she seems to be moulding herself: Pelosi, Clinton (the she… Read more »
Surprised Browards Cowards didnt “fear for their life” and shoot a man in a towel.
And people think cops won’t enforce red flag laws? Sounds like they did a B&E in full tac gear because someone used their first amendment protected rights.
Local police owe their allegiance to whomever signs their check. There is NO constitutional authority for local police, that was supposed to be the Militia or the local armed populace.
@tetejaun, if that were true then how come the local police are not arresting the people illegally taking people’s firearms? Also, why are local police seizing weapons already?
“that being true”, the actions of the local police are still not justified… the activities you describe are IN SPITE of the fact stated by Tete Juan.
It is because WE (a large and longstanding corporate WE) have allowed this to happen for so long, and so egregiously wrong, that to turn it about at this point seems about as impossible as changing the course of the Titanic was about the time the iceberg was first seen……..
In this presentation, they say that one needs to be careful what one posts on facebook because it can be twisted and claimed to be a threat. However it sounds as though it took the police three weeks to determine what threat he had made. Sounds as though based simply on the word of a random woman, they sent out a tactical team to invade his home. If that is the case, one does not seem to make any statement or post anything for someone to be able to claim you are a threat – it as random as Swatting.… Read more »
Very reason I don’t have or want a stupid face book account. More people have been put under the microscope for the stupidest things because of that moronic site, every damn police department and cartel with initials in government watch the populace on it. The stupidest garbage I ever heard was about this low level criminal talking back and forth with a police department a couple towns over from me. This guy was playing with them for over a month saying he was going to turn himself in, I’m not sure if he ever did but I know they got… Read more »
We knew this was gonna’ happen. The democrat party has been transformed into the national socialist democrat party. The ruthlessness introduced by Slick’s machine and fine tuned by the last administration is just a glimpse of what’s to come. Enraged by President Trump’s transparency and waving the familiar “red flag” law, they’ll introduce a level of oppression not seen in this nation since King George III. As sure as rain, some over-eager law enforcement officer will push an accused past his flash point and we’ll see more deaths. The absence of due process deserves the red flag, not some blustery… Read more »
I’m inclined to agree, but as to the contributors to this attack on our liberties, let’s give George W Bush his share of credit. 9/11 gave “W” the excuse to unleash the beginnings of a police state previously unheard of in our nation, with new laws, suspension of many protections, and creation of an additional level of overhead in our government. Meanwhile, the borders were left wide open. Yes, the storm troopers are here to keep Americans in line.
Not that people didn’t notice that it was a huge dump bush took on the constitution back then but Nail on the head my friend, nail on the head.
@ Browserb46 , Bush slid that through telling people it was for the citizen’s good to keep this type of thing from happening again. Pretty slick,huh.
Leftists are tyrants and evil AF. If they’re doing this while we’re armed, just think what they will do if they ever succeed in disarming us. Remember, first comes registration, then comes confiscation, and it ends in obliteration… democide!
Its started. The abuse of Red Flag laws. These laws will be challenged in the Courts, and ultimately thrown out. Any Red Flag laws should have penalties for wrongful reporting and frivolous reporting. Beth Jaffe should be fined and ordered to pay any cost the police incurred. Furthermore, Mr. Van Antwerpen should sue her for false reporting, pain and suffering, and damage to his reputation. Why don’t people, such as Jaffe, who hate the way this country was founded just move to Europe or some workers’ paradise.
Hopefully they will be thrown out one day, but along the way, many people are going to unfortunately die, which is, of course, perfectly fine with the people who wrote the laws in the first place. Reminds me of a comment I heard regarding the statement “How many children have to die before you give up your guns?” One day you will realize it’s not a rhetorical question from the left, but a threat.
So one enters my house uninvited hair dressed in gear and carrying weapons they probably wouldn’t end very good because as a law abiding citizen I’m going to assume they are criminals looking to do me in my family harm.
This is a huge danger with these ridiculous red flag laws that can have uninvited guests with weapons barging into your home.
This is really getting unfing believable, it’s bad enough these nut jobs are trying to punish gun owners for trump with this huge push on gun rights, HOW IN THE HELL ARE THEY GETTING AWAY WITH NO KNOCK WARRANTS?!! Never in a million years did I ever think I would be alive to see this crap.