No one is issued a Glock when they move to Florida, unfortunately. Florida’s state gun laws are good, but not that good, at least not yet.
The Gunshine State only recently legalized open carry, which was decades overdue. However, it was never passed by our state lawmakers and was never signed by the governor into law. Instead, Florida’s gun community legalized open-carry without using lawmakers.
After open carry became law, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier quickly warned all state prosecutors and every state law enforcement agency about the case, McDaniels v. State, in which the First District Court of Appeal struck down Florida’s ban on the open carry of arms.
The Attorney General also told the group they should “refrain from arresting or prosecuting law-abiding citizens carrying a firearm in a manner that is visible to others.”
Most cities reacted well to the new law. However, there were a few Democratic strongholds scattered throughout the state that did not take the news well at all. Their reactions may have violated the law.
The City of Sarasota went absolutely bonkers because their citizens can now carry arms openly. Sarasota’s City Commission is strongly Democratic and has a history of being frightened by guns, gun rights and especially the Second Amendment.
A City Commission meeting held last Thursday was attended by three Sarasota Police officers and their chief of police. The officers wore ballistic vests with hard body armor. Two of the officers carried ARs, but not a single citizen openly carried a firearm during the meeting.
So, who ordered the officers to attend the meeting with their hard vests and ARs?
That would be Sarasota Police Chief Rex Troche.
Contacted Monday, Chief Troche said that while he remains very concerned, and his officers plan to continue to monitor guns at public meetings, he may reduce the presence of “heavily armed officers.”
“We respect the Second Amendment and want people to know their rights and adhere to the law,” Chief Troche said.
It doesn’t appear that the good police chief knew how close he came to violating someone’s civil rights.
Compare the City of Sarasota’s reaction to that of Sarasota County, which is overseen by Sheriff Kurt Hoffman—one of the most ardent Second Amendment defenders in the entire country.
At a recent Sarasota County Commission meeting, there were no changes made because of the new open-carry law. The two deputies who attended the meeting wore no hard ballistic body armor, carried no long guns and were as jovial as ever.
Takeaways
Sending the police chief along with three officers wearing hard ballistic plates and armed with carbines to a public meeting because someone may legally exercise their Second Amendment rights is completely wrong if not illegal.
Local law enforcement leaders do not get to decide whether citizens can access a federal civil right. The last time they tried it was the 1960s, and a few police officials lost their jobs, and several went to federal prison.
Then, like now, law enforcement justified their illegal acts by claiming they were only trying to keep order and preserve the peace. The truth is, law enforcement broke the law because its leaders were scared, just like they are now.
Sarasota and cities like it should be very, very careful.
The Second Amendment has been a constitutional right since 1791. If local leaders try and prevent someone from exercising their constitutional rights, they may soon find themselves explaining to a federal judge and jury why they decided it was okay to illegally violate someone’s constitutional rights.
This story is presented by the Second Amendment Foundation’s Investigative Journalism Project and wouldn’t be possible without you. Please click here to make a tax-deductible donation to support more pro-gun stories like this.
Vehicle as Weapon, Shots Fired, No USCG Personnel Injured ~ VIDEO
About Lee Williams
Lee Williams, who is also known as “The Gun Writer,” is the chief editor of the Second Amendment Foundation’s Investigative Journalism Project. Until recently, he was also an editor for a daily newspaper in Florida. Before becoming an editor, Lee was an investigative reporter at newspapers in three states and a U.S. Territory. Before becoming a journalist, he worked as a police officer. Before becoming a cop, Lee served in the Army. He’s earned more than a dozen national journalism awards as a reporter, and three medals of valor as a cop. Lee is an avid tactical shooter.
troche is a douche, a scared one at that. did anyone see if they had the bearcat and swat on standby outside in case they saw someone openly carrying?
maybe the city council should be afraid because the Second Amendment was to defending against and prevent a bloated authoritarian government from violating citizens civil rights.
progs are afraid of everything except violating the law, that they are not afraid of, as recent history has shown us.
yea we have commie exports from nuyak and jersy that dont understand rights and should be deported back to their shit holes
Posting the two “heavily armed” officers was 100% about intimidation. It’s what cowards do.
It’s illegal to possess a concealed weapon in one of those meetings, and although the current laws don’t address open carry, no prudent person would openly carry a firearm into one.
So whom, exactly, is the chief trying to influence with this stunt?
Carrying an AR is not “heavily armed”. Funny stuff.
Open carry is still a concern for Florida’s LE, be mindful if you OC, they’re watching you. I wouldn’t want to OC after reading they’re fearful of everyone who is OC.
Chief Troche said that while he remains very concerned, and his officers plan to continue to monitor guns at public meetings, he may reduce the presence of “heavily armed officers.”
Rex is a dog’s name.
Hey, it’s Sarasota. That’s where clowns come from. That’s not a joke; that’s where you would go to learn to be a clown. I wouldn’t expect anything different.
So… chief “Guns-for-Me-but-Not-for-Thee” would rather citizens attend with concealed firearms, so he won’t know for certain who is armed vs. who is not??? He is openly stating by way of chosen actions that he was not concerned about a police officer getting shot at one of these meetings until after it was (finally) deemed unconstitutional to ban open carry although basically, the same “threat” existed before this adjudication. Apparently he thinks open carry makes people go insane? Maybe since he knows personally how the left thinks, he was afraid some disgruntled dem would grab and use a firearm openly carried… Read more »
This kind of behavior is going to cause the anti-gun groups to declare we aren’t to be trusted with firearms. There are a lot of road rage incidents where a gun is displayed, and some didn’t end well.
VIDEO: Florida woman arrested after pointing gun at family during road-rage incident Esmerelda Cruz, 23, faces 3 counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
VIDEO: Florida woman arrested after pointing gun at family during road-rage incident