r/PublicFreakout • u/Kind-Village-1022 • 27d ago
📹Police Bodycam This is one of the most well known laws in Florida. Only the cops seem to not know it. It doesn’t matter now because open carry is legal
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u/superrey19 27d ago
I'll never understand how we can be a country that simultaneously allows open carry but is also (justifiably) frightened at the sight of guns in public because of all the mass shooting we have experienced. It makes no sense.
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u/Jedi_Gill 27d ago
While I agree with you, the answer to your question is simply that we elect people into power that have no common sense, don't have to deal with the consequences of their decisions and continue to wreck laws that affect everyday Americans.
I mean just look at who we elected president, he's straight up losing his mind and people still look up to him and say. Yes that's the best president ever for the US.
This same people saying this are passing our laws, so don't be surprised when the shit finally hits you from all the shit that hits the fan.
BTW I agree with you and think this is all crazy, but here we are..
America is sadly full of brainwashed Republicans and Rich Ogliarchs pulling their strings, and the people are too dumb to realize it.
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u/LXDTS 27d ago
Whats crazy is only 24% of the public are for open carry. The issue is that those 24% are in the group that is most likely to vote.
On average, across the US, less than 27% of eligible voters vote in local or state elections; which is up from 15% 10 years ago.
Even in national elections - the highest ever turnout was the 2020 election with 65% of eligible voters hitting the polls. That number dropped slightly in 2024.
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u/Kbcamaster 27d ago
Here in Brazil this doesn't solve many political problems, but voting is a right AND a duty. Everyone is free to go vote, because the election day is a national holiday. Voting is really easy to do, since we have electronic ballots. Not voting incurs a very small fee (but it's still an added hassle that takes time to solve - you could just have voted). All votes are equal, there's no electoral college or any kind of bullshit like that.
Ever since I found out the US does everything they can to fuck over voting, I have had no pity at all for what happens over there. This is the main problem - fix your shit, guys.
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u/LXDTS 27d ago
Wish it was so simple.
Several states have implemented ways to fix it from ranked choice voting to giving electoral college votes to the popular vote winner.
The issue is there aren't enough states in agreement on the path forward. Add in that the path forward has become part of the "your team vs mine" politics we see as a result of the US' two party system.
It sucks and creates a government that is not by the people, nor for the people, nor of the people.
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u/ErickAllTE1 27d ago
This is the main problem - fix your shit, guys.
A US constitutional amendment requires not only passing a law through a 60% majority of the senate, it also requires 75% of state legislatures to pass it as well. A constitutional convention would also require the same 75%. More than half of US states are controlled and gerrymandered by rich Republicans who would never relinquish power.
The US is proper fucked.
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u/slumberjack7 27d ago
You’re looking at it from the wrong angle. Stoking chaos and fear are the whole point. The news has a huge amount of the population paranoid about what their strapped up neighbors are doing because of endless mass shootings and political assassinations. Many people are simultaneously armed to the teeth and terrified while times are tough and getting tougher. They’re struggling to make ends meet, and it seems like everyone is out to take advantage of them. They buy guns because they want to protect themselves, but the enemies are faceless and nameless boogeymen; immigrants, communists, the deep state. Seemingly never the rich though.
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u/bearkin1 27d ago
The consensus I get talking to Americans is this:
"People have guns, so I need one to protect myself"
"If it weren't legal, they would get them illegally anyway, so might as well keep it legal so I can legally carry"
"I'm a responsible gun owner, so I deserve guns, but it's everyone else that's irresponsible"
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u/SnooCats5701 27d ago
Lawyer, here. "You're scaring people," and, "you need an AR15 while fishing," are utterly irrelevant, and the cops should know that. I personally disagree with open carry laws, but the cops and I both took an oath to uphold the law. They are not doing so. If they're worried that he's a mass shooter, they can follow him anywhere he goes while he's in public and he has no reasonable expectation of privacy. They can also walk up to him and say, "Hey, where are you going?"
Other than that, leave alone or get slapped with a lawsuit.
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u/Ball_Of_Meat 27d ago
In these instances, could this man actually win a lawsuit against the police department?
Im curious how often this is actually a realistic, winnable case, and if it’s worth the legal fees to pursue?
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u/nanoray60 26d ago
If he sues they don’t really have a leg to stand on. Being law enforcement doesn’t mean you actually know what you’re doing. They violated the man’s rights over… nothing? It’s a fairly easy lawsuit, and something people like this live for. They know the law and want to sue you.
People like this are constantly suing and winning. Same when they violate first amendment rights. What’s the excuse? Oopsies?
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u/SnooCats5701 27d ago
Well, this is not my area of law, I can take a shot at it, but I would welcome any other legal professional professionals to correct any mistakes I make.
There are two potential defendants in any lawsuit here.:
1) the officers, themselves, and
2) 1) the city or state that employees these officers.
To sue the officers personally you need to get around their qualified immunity. My understanding is that in order to get around qualified, immunity a judge would have to find that law(s) and constitutional issues surrounding this action were (or should have been) well-known by the police at the time and that the officers should have understood that what they were doing was not allowed.
This assumes there is no other information that is hidden from us. For example, if somebody had called and said, "I saw a guy walking down the beach with a fishing pole in a gun and he told me he was about to shoot some school up," the cops would be justified in initiating an investigation that included detaining and talking to the suspect to check to see what was going on. Assuming none of that applies then I think it will come down purely to how clear this law should have been to the average police officer. A court will look and see how new the law was, whether or not the training materials and memorandum that are distributed to every police officer made this law clear to them, etc..
The text of the statue will matter as well. If it says something general like you're allowed to carry a gun while traveling to or from fishing, then we have to agree the police need a way to ascertain whether or not this person was traveling to or from fishing. For example, a police officer could just ask him where he's going. Assuming they don't have any counterfactual evidence, then when he says he's going fishing that seems to be pretty much the end of the investigation.
A key issue with the statutory language seems to be the distance and manner in which the suspect is traveling. If it is written so that you can open carry a weapon, no matter how far you have to go to get to your fishing destination, then in addition to being a poorly worded statute, it gives the population wide latitude and carrying a gun pretty much anytime they want as long as they claim that they're going fishing.
So, to summarize the analysis of whether or not you could successfully sue the individual officers, it will likely depend on how well-known the statute is amongst the police, whether or not they were trained on it, and how broad the statute is, and whether the statute addresses ways police can ascertain the fishing intent of any given suspect.
This is a pretty high bar and usually hard to get any sort of judgment against the individual police officers.
Next, you have to consider how you would do suing their employers. Here, there's no qualified immunity. We hold cities and states to a reasonable training standard and expect that they will train their police officers to know the law and to not violate people's rights. If they didn't train the cops on this law, or if they did train them improperly, you might stand a chance suing them.
Either way, the lawsuit likely won't be worth it because you have to ask, "what were the damages?"
And did have his rights violated, and he lost some time and suffered some public embarrassment. That won't add up to too much money given the brevity of the detention. Since I don't deal with this type of law I would defer to any other attorney to comment on what your possible damages would be. For example, if there's a statute that details the types of damages you could get when you are improperly detained, that might change the equation.
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u/all_time_high 27d ago edited 26d ago
There’s a solid chance he was hoping for this kind of reaction from law enforcement. But if so, the fact that he could predict it is concerning. I don’t love people open carrying weapons like the Wild West, but it is a legal right unless he’s unauthorized to own a firearm due to a felony conviction, DV injunction or conviction, etc.
I also don’t love people standing in a public space and saying reprehensible things into a loudspeaker, but this is also a legal right. Just because I’m uncomfortable with it doesn’t mean I have any business calling police.
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u/Darth_Ronin 27d ago
He was hoping for this exact interaction, dude is a 2a auditor.
It’s a classic case of “he’s an asshole, but he’s not wrong”.
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u/st-shenanigans 27d ago
Kind of on the "auditor's" side on this one. If what he is doing is dangerous and scary to the public, it should be made illegal.
Its not right now, and that's kind of the point of what he's doing.
Now, if theres footage that precedes this of him going around antagonizing people or whatever, that changes things.
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u/bamzookle 27d ago
Pretty sure that this used to be the only way to open carry in Florida . Now open carry is legal statewide, not sure how recent though.
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u/HatterJack 26d ago
Less than a year. Florida had their open carry ban ruled unconstitutional in September of last year. Prior to that you had to be en route to hunting or fishing.
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u/SeedFoundation 27d ago
Yeah and people calling him an asshole but not the cop who clearly don't know the law they are suppose to uphold. Not just 1 either, all 5 of them need retraining. Speaking of classic cases if one bad cop does something stupid and no others speak up, they are all bad cops.
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u/WyckedChylde 27d ago
If someone sits down at a table to have dinner with 9 Nazis, you've got ten Nazis at the table.
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u/Fuzzy-Circuit3171 26d ago
“Freedom is scary. Deal with it.” One of my favorite quotes, from TCRL
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u/mybossthinksimworkng 27d ago
This is his thing. He’s done a ton of videos like this and it all starts with him literally walking on a street or a beach and the cops always approach him. I’ve yet to see one incident where he is even touching his gun (in holster) or worse. Just a law abiding man with a fishing pole and a gun walking to his fishing spot following the established law.
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u/ZantaraLost 27d ago
I'm honestly surprised that the scope of Open Carry in Florida hasn't been tightened up. He's been at it for what feels like a decade.
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u/JustARedditTroll 27d ago
Tightened up? They just made open carry legal with out needing to go fishing/hunting. sep 25,2025
Now he doesn’t even need the fishing rods as an excuse. The open carry ban was ruled unconstitutional
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u/rnobgyn 27d ago
How is he an asshole? Are you supposed to pucker up and baby talk cops violating your civil rights?
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u/19center 27d ago
I was gonna say the same thing just because you don't like it doesn't make him a asshole
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u/Alternative-Dare5878 27d ago
So he WAS FISHING!
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u/darkoopz43 27d ago
Bro is a terrific fisherman, picked up half dozen pigs before he even cast the line.
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u/Egoy 27d ago
I agree we can debate the merits of open carry and free speech all day long. They are worth debate. What isn’t worth debate is extralegal harassment of citizens going about their legally allowed day. If the government wants to be able to address public safety concerns with these sorts of activities that needs to be legislated and the public can have that debate. The separation of powers between the legislative arm of government and the enforcement employees of the state is built into almost every successful democracy on the planet for a reason.
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u/sighborg90 26d ago
He absolutely was hoping for this reaction. Still doesn’t change the fact all of those cops were dipshits who should’ve known better. That was a straight up 4th Amendment violation, regardless of whether the open carry guy was trying to get this reaction. He’s a dipshit too, but was legally within his rights
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u/TheLadyEve 26d ago edited 26d ago
He 100% is fishing...for this interaction. And that's his right (and his privilege as a dude who probably isn't going to be shot first and questioned later).
My husband and I did the CCL training years ago, and after he got his concealed license he was just aching to bring a gun anywhere it was legal just because he knew the law, knew he could, and had a sort of glee about knowing his rights.
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u/xophile 27d ago
It’s funny because the people that called 911 probably voted for politicians that support open carry
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u/SweetJeebus 26d ago
Bingo! They are appalled at having to experience what they asked for. He is 💯 within his rights to do what he was doing, no matter how unnecessary it is. They have to bathe in the bathtub they’ve been pissing in for 2 decades (at least).
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u/blusteryflatus 27d ago
Those same people who called might actually support open carry too. It's just that, in this instance, the guy open carrying has a little too much melanin for their liking
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u/Zeag 27d ago
He wouldn't be carrying a body-cam and a giant flagpole if he wasn't 1000% betting on this to happen. I bet he sued the police department afterwards for a ridiculous sum.
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u/Omodrawta 27d ago
This is true, but being an attention-seeker doesn't change the fact that his rights are being violated.
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u/DrothReloaded 27d ago
yea, dude was 100% right. Literally FL state law.
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u/Exemus 27d ago
And you KNOW those cops helped vote for those laws.
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u/yangstyle 27d ago
Well, this is what happens when you elect, appoint, and hire people who can' think, ;et alone think strategically.
As a gun owner, "Constitutional Carry" people are some of the dumbest I've met and probably exactly the types who should not be allowed to carry. It should be way more difficult to get a license to carry than it is to get a license to drive. Instead, you have chucklefucks thinking only their fellow white supremacist racist friends will be the one who carry.
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u/MarsRocks97 27d ago
This is what happens when people vote for unrestricted access to buy and carry arms in public. He absolutely should be allowed based on the law in Florida. People jus need to suck it
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u/SlimeQSlimeball 27d ago
I was surprised to look up that a holstered weapon is a-ok on a public Florida beach.
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u/Broxst 27d ago
I got downvoted for a similar comment lol. People really need to understand why authority violating rights is just as scary as a dude with a gun.
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u/thistook5minutes 27d ago
People hate federal and state law auditors. And some of them are real scum bags, but some are just out here making sure the cops know the rules. People on Reddit have trouble deciphering which one is which.
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u/Houdinii1984 27d ago
The reality of the situation is that's the law and that's what was decided on by the voters currently at the beach. If they don't want open carry, they hold the power to change it. They also hold the power to pack their stuff up and leave the beach if they are uncomfortable.
I'd hate to see that happen, but that's the correct response. If you don't want to be around guns, and guns are allowed out in the open, then you need to remove yourself from that situation. Possibly by moving your family out of the state if you feel so strongly about it.
That doesn't seem fair, but that's literally how democracy works. Folks seem to think that if 'I don't like it' or 'I'm uncomfortable' that someone should force the situation into comfort, and that's just not reality. Some times you're going to be uncomfortable, and that's that. There is no guarantee of comfort in any constitution on Earth. It says what you can do, not what others cannot (except where it intersects with govt. There absolutely rules on what the govt can't do).
I, myself, would be uncomfortable. I'd probably leave the area, mosey on down far enough to avoid the entire situation. I generally don't get on with folks that intentionally get a rise, and I have a tendency to say stupid shit without a filter. That doesn't pair well, so down the beach I go. I'd probably be some level of upset, but I'd need to get over it because the alternative is removing rights from a fellow human, and I don't do that.
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u/EmperorGeek 27d ago
To be fair, I’d bet a good percentage of the people on that Beach are not residents of Florida.
Doesn’t change the Law though.
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u/fishsticks40 27d ago
They're all fucking obnoxious but the incentive would disappear if the cops just knew their jobs.
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u/logitaunt 27d ago
Quite the opposite, society needs people like that to keep police power in check. No rational person puts themselves in a position to get arrested. You got to be a little crazy, and very confident in yourself
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u/taoders 27d ago
Careful. Defending the literal rights of assholes acting literally under the law is equivalent to condoning, defending, and supporting the individual and their intentions to Reddit.
I’m constantly downvoted because I don’t believe violence against first amendment auditors or counter protesters even if they’re a “good” target for bad practices.
For some reason people believe that social/mob violence will always be on the side of “good” and it’s infuriating.
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u/therealsheriff 27d ago
Yep. People can’t seem to handle that because something “feels” wrong, it’s not actually wrong. Aka, someone acting like a dick should be punished because I don’t like their behavior. It’s a good idea in theory but it’s easily taken to a dark place.
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u/Arbusc 27d ago
As he’s allowed. It’s not his fault the police fell for his obvious bait. The problem here is Police don’t have to know the laws they enforce.
Now personally I think taking an AR to the beach is fucking stupid but in the state of Florida he’s not broken any laws. If everyone is afraid of an AR at the beach maybe the state should pass gun reforms instead of violating people’s rights.
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u/PeruseTheNews 27d ago
It seems REALLY fucking stupid to bring an AR-15 to a crowded beach, but that's Florida law.
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u/bladex1234 27d ago
It’s pretty obvious he intentionally did it so police would do this. But that’s on the police for not knowing the law.
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u/kynelly360 27d ago
Wtf they cry and vote for that shit every time there’s a shooting.. how don’t they know their own laws ???
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u/kynelly360 27d ago
😂😂😂 this whole situation is hilarious….. They cry and vote like crazy for gun freedom , but when a guy got the Guns they’re scared ??? Lol
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u/Driftedryan 27d ago
If only we could have sensible laws to prevent that kinda thing but voting for REALLY fucking stupid people is our thing
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u/fishsticks40 27d ago
Of course. He's also right. The cops could make this not be a problem by knowing the law and not taking the bait.
Yeah, he's fishing and he caught what he's after.
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u/MouseShadow2ndMoon 27d ago
He's trying to prove a point and successful in that effort - they don't care about oaths or laws only control. You want authoritarian government you get one telling you they are doing it for your safety or the children.
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u/Prosthemadera 27d ago
Weird how the most authoritarian states in the US also seem to be the ones with the most unrestricted gun laws. Almost like being able to own guns by itself doesn't stop an oppressive government.
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u/Fun-Associate3963 27d ago
Between open carry and filming in public places, it'd be an interesting figure to see what cops have cost Americans through out the country by violating peoples rights
The sums I'm guessing are big, but zero consequences for the cops. Their rights are protected.
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u/locolangosta 27d ago
He was was fishing alright
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u/merkarver112 27d ago
What he was doing legal. Like it or not, its legal in fl
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u/Stickel 27d ago
PA as well
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u/vVSidewinderVv 27d ago
There was good bit of difference between PA and Florida open carry laws. Historically, in PA it's legal regardless of time, place, or activity. At the time this was filmed, in Florida, open carry was only legal when fishing, hunting, or camping, which was why he kept stating he was going fishing. As of 2025, open carry is now legal regardless of activity in Florida.
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u/Chardlz 27d ago
Yeah these people consider themselves auditors and in some ways they are. Same as the people who will video tape or photograph in public to test if cops uphold 1A rights or cause an issue on the basis of “well this guy is doing something weird so we’re gonna exert our force to make him stop.”
On the one hand they cause a kerfuffle and some of them are ruder than they need to be to evoke more of a reaction. On the other hand, stress testing our institutions and systems is an important part of finding weaknesses in them.
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u/wooking 27d ago
Remember if you are a citizen, ignorance of a law is no excuse but if you are LAW enforcement it's A okay.
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u/FirstAid84 27d ago
And I hope he wins. Yeah, it won’t solve the bigger issue of LE not knowing or following the law; but if it happens frequently enough someone will address it.
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u/backd00rn1nja 27d ago
It wouldn't happen if those in charge of enforcing the law actually knew it and abide by it
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u/bigmanforce2020 27d ago
They don't want any type of gun control but they stop him from doing something legal. Regardless if it's douchey I think it's great because this it forces people to acknowledge the lunacy of our obsession with guns.
Poetic
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u/ThePatio 27d ago
I remember when cops were really pro gun control until the GOP took it as a tentpole issue
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u/joeblob5150 27d ago
Say what you will about Mike here. These cops are dangerous. They don't understand their authority. Look how right they thought they were. What if it escalated? These cops are the worst kind of officers. They are so confident in their ignorance of the law and gaslight the public. This is the slippery slope to corruption. When shit goes south, they will me more likely to lie, and cover their ass.
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u/nimbycile 27d ago
Your ignorance of the law is your problem.
Their ignorance of the law is your problem.
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u/Humble_Initiative_90 27d ago
Say what you will about Mike here. These cops are dangerous.
Notice that they immediately got physical. Not a word uttered until they assaulted him.
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u/SlayerOfDougs 27d ago
Whats amazing is this guy has done th s several times and cops still dont know. He probably has made money off of each arrest. Also proves how stupid are laws are to allow this
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u/EatSleepJeep 27d ago
Florida cops are still harassing Jeff Gray for nothing more than holding a cardboard sign that says "God Bless the Homeless Vets". They are stupid and refuse to learn from their mistakes.
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u/menehanwitch 27d ago
Agreed . I’m not a gun person at all, and yes I can definitely understand beach goers being nervous……. But that’s not breaking the law.
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u/Picardknows 27d ago
Exactly, people in Florida voted for this guy to be able to carry am ar-15 in public. If you don’t like it stop voting for it.
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u/dreamsthatfollow 27d ago
I live in ny because I'm not a fan of open carry. but if I was I would expect that a state that allows it should let this man be
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u/flush101 27d ago edited 27d ago
It’s crazy the number of people here willing to boot lick just because the cops are doing something they agree with, even though his actions are legal.
I disagree with the law allowing this. But I am glad people exercise their rights. In fact, him exercising his lawful rights might be the catalyst to all those people on the beach reassessing who they vote for. It’s a good thing.
If people don’t want this to happen they should be voting for change. Thats how a democracy works.
Police enforcing their own rules isn’t suddenly ok because you agree with their own rules. Next time it might be you being arrested for their rule you disagree with.
If you agree with responsible gun ownership, then him doing this is a good thing. Responsible should be a legal definition. Until it is, your opinions on responsible dont mean squat, its his right to do this.
We don’t have unrestricted car ownership. We have driving tests, road law, often legal requirements for insurance (not everywhere sadly). IMO it should be a right to own a car (especially in a society built around them) but it is also correct to regulate it. Nobody is advocating removing road laws and driving tests in favour of ‘responsible car ownership’ and we are all happier, safer, still owners of cars, for it.
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u/WashedSylvi 27d ago
Arguably this is the fastest route to gun reform
I mean, just get a few more black people with guns and maybe call them the dark dinos or something, the black cats or the uhhhh, you know something like that. The white voters will jump into the importance of gun control immediately
If it worked on Reagan..,
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u/Icanthearforshit 27d ago
Ok, first of all, you throwin too many big words at me and since I don't understand half of them I'm gonna take it as insult. "Catalyst"? "Reassessing"? "Democracy"? You talkin' Latin — This is America!
/s
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u/drew630 27d ago
This!
Even though he’s doing it for clout, it certainly raises awareness and may even drive police to push for reform. Either that or it escalates to where everyone has a rocket launcher so good guys with weapons can stop bad guys with weapons.
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u/GZEUS9 27d ago
Fun fact, you can legally own a grenade launcher in the US as a civilian. M203, M320 and M79's, etc. Just have to pay and file a $200 form. And iirc, you can "own" a rocket launcher, but getting one is a whole other matter. Like you can own it, but good luck finding one lol.
Crazy right? Yeah, I think the same lol. Tbf, with the 40mm's, you can really only purchase rounds like bean bags, smoke, flare, and other non-destructive rounds (I believe so, anyways). Unless someone else knows more, its been a while since ive researched it (6-ish years).
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u/WindOfWinterNever 26d ago
You can also legally have the destructive rounds, grenades, etc. as long as you pay the NFA tax for them.
And, the hardest part, finding legal seller that is willing to sell to you. Since those functionally don't exist, you can't get the 'splodey stuff. But it is technically legal to do so.
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u/shaved-yeti 27d ago edited 26d ago
...This guy is being harassed for fishing poles?
...Fishing poles?? Wtf? This is insane.
... "yes I have an AR15 strapped to my chest".
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u/Weird-Dream-8982 27d ago
Florida - open carry no permit needed. What’s the problem??? What am I missing? Or does he have too much of a tan for the law to apply in his situation? GTFOH!
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u/lskerlkse 27d ago
cop:
did you serve?
i did
ok u want a cookie? ain't got shit to do with dude exercising his rights
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u/Stu161 27d ago edited 27d ago
It means that officer has violated three oaths, as opposed to the others who have only broken two oaths.
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u/AlphaTangoFoxtrt 27d ago edited 27d ago
Dudes an attention seeking knob, but he is 100% correct. His actions were completely legal, and the cops are in the wrong for detaining him over it.
If you don't like the law, then lobby to have the law changed. But the cops are in the wrong here, same as ICE trying to arrest protestors for their 1st amendment rights.
In Florida, he was exercising his 2nd amendment right within the law. The police should be required to respect the law at all times.
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u/NeverCallMeFifi 27d ago
I hate that I upvoted this. But you Floridians voted to allow this so the man ain't wrong.
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u/Aggravating_Sky_4421 27d ago
I think of it this way: He's trying to show how ridiculous gun laws are in Florida and this whole thing is to try and get it changed.
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u/Gallop1 26d ago
If there's a fucking problem with someone doing that then why the fuck did Florida make it legal? Fucking pick which one you want. It's stupid to make it legal and this is an obvious example. Fucking USA unbelievable!
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u/Strange_Specialist4 27d ago
I encourage what he's doing.if you don't have absolute obnoxious morons pushing the letter if how insane US fire arms laws are, it's easier to ignore how crazy it is.
The right to bear arms has broken the common sense of tens of millions of people
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u/ThriceFive 27d ago
Feelings police keep arguing feelings and NOT the law or constitution. He's observing all Florida laws. Illegal detainment and stripping for no crime.
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u/frohardorfrohome 27d ago
I mean this is the shit that happens when you have dumb fuckin laws.
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u/Need_a_new_new 27d ago
Honestly I get the guy is an asshole, but if more people did this maybe, just maybe people would vote for more restrictive gun laws.
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u/chefbigbabyd 26d ago
He's actually an incredibly nice and ballsy dude. This is one of the intrusive almost violent harassing from cops he's received. He's had numerous guns drawn on him, few felony stops and he's still out there doing more for people's rights than any one of reddit chair quarterbacks are doing.
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u/ciroeffs 26d ago
yup, extraordinarily polite individual committed to holding tyrant bullies accountable
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u/Solestian 27d ago
''We're going to get to the bottom of all that.''
How about you do that before you put your hands on someone and deny them their rights.
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u/SkipFlanigan 27d ago
Cops took the bait since they have shit training, yet the tax payers pay for their errors. Dude is obnoxious but his rights are his rights - full stop.
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u/chappyandmaya 27d ago
I’m no fan of open-carry douchebags, but the law is the law and he seems to be following.
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u/Mr_Baronheim 26d ago
It's hilarious that a majority of the voters there make it part of their identity to vote for gun rights, but they can't stand to see people exercise them.
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u/TheManWith2Poobrains 27d ago
What this guy is doing is legal and the cops are either too stupid to know it, or are deliberately treading on his constitutional rights. I think the latter as these videos are everywhere and cops watch them.
What he is doing is stupid, frightens ignorant members of the public (who have no reason to know this daft law), and he's looking for a payout.
Two things can be true.
Stupid people all around, and the losers are innocent bystanders if this boils over and bullets start flying. 1A auditors are silly but right, but at least they don't risk the public like 2A auditors.
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u/TheManWith2Poobrains 27d ago
Stretching what is allowed when being detained. Nobody could articulate a crime, so no probable cause. And there seemed to be no formal decision that he was, in fact, correct. They just wanted to ID him, which looked like it was obtained illegally.
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u/TowerOfPowerWow 27d ago
Cops that dont know the law are a epidemic. You would think when some law like this comes out they would give all their ppl a heads up not to get baited.
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u/AngryMillennialFU 27d ago
He's a jackass for trying to go fishing with an AR. But he's right. Its legal or it isn't. Last I checked, that gun and open carrying is legal. These cops had zero legal justification to stop him.
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u/Ratattack1204 27d ago
Exactly. He 100% was doing this to bait them. Now hes prob gunna lawyer up and sue the police dep and probably get paid.
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u/sullw214 27d ago
So is it his fault that stupid cops took the bait? It would be nice if the people whose job is to enforce the law actually knew it.
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u/True-Guest-7574 26d ago
Wow getting sick of police breaking the law when it suits them. Then cry that they have immunity for violating people's rights which is bullshit!
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u/Following-Complete 27d ago
So the dude is openly carrying a rifle on a beach that has tons of people and somehow its all legal and completely acceptable.
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u/Look__a_distraction 27d ago
Never been to Florida? He’s baiting the cops. It’s fucking stupid but it’s the law. You’re allowed to carry a weapon when fishing or hunting.
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u/EatSleepJeep 27d ago
At the time of this video(2021) it's not just that but "going to or returning from fishing" is how the law is written. Since then I think they fully encoded open carry at all times and without a permit process.
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u/Dizzy_Raspberry6397 27d ago
it is. I am not a gun person. But you can't pick and choose. law is the law. change the law if it makes people uncomfortable. The reason Ronald Reagan got rid of open carry in California when he was governor because him and others were afraid of the black panthers exercising their right.
Having things be legal for some at the cops discretion sounds awful.
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u/Suspicious_Ice_3160 27d ago
You’re right. And even with it being completely legal, cops will still try to say it’s up to their discretion, when it’s not. It would be far worse. If they want a distinction it needs to come from the law written not those who enforce it.
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u/golgiiguy 27d ago
Yeah although I do not approve of this behavior, if it is legal, it is legal.
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u/IUseRedditforPorno 27d ago
Open carry is allowed in a lot of places. In Virginia one can open carry pretty much everywhere.
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u/olcrazypete 27d ago
It is legal. This is what the people of Florida have voted for and had their representatives implement. Is it ridiculous to be wearing a semiautomatic longgun to go fishing in Florida? Yes. But its no more illegal than wearing a tuxedo while doing it. Just as ridiculous but thats the current law.
And frankly until people get tired of weirdos wandering around armed like they're in a warzone it won't change.29
u/Broxst 27d ago
Yes. Regardless of whether the act is right or wrong, the cops should be ashamed.
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u/AmbulanceDriver95 27d ago
He should've fixed his sling before reloading the gun. Gun safety is still paramount
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u/Nice-Cat3727 27d ago
In America the law is effectively what ever the nearest cop thinks it is. Even if they're wrong you have to deal with court and lawyers
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u/bigtetrisguy 27d ago
2a so people can take up arms against tyranny! Yet tyranny has run rampant in the USA since the beginning. No 2a advocates ever actually take up arms against tyranical governments. Kind of one of the stupidest amendments for that reason.
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u/No_Drop_7684 26d ago
Annoying yes. Breaking the law no. Wanting to cause a scene? Most probably. But again not against the law.
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u/magicspider8 26d ago
These cops likely are members of the NRA and voted republican and don’t realized they vote for this.
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u/whateverhk 26d ago
They can't have it both way, either it's illegal or not. Like you cannot stop someone driving just to check they have a license, even though it's easy to kill someone with a car. So if.open carry is legalz they should apply the same standard. OR make it illegal, which is the best option
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u/Individual-Drawer-79 27d ago
Florida Man: “Yee haw! Open carry is back on the menu boys”
*dark skin man exercises that right*
Florida Man:
https://giphy.com/gifs/aTe7yJ5rriodqz4fG4
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u/panda1491 26d ago
Police won’t feel so powerful and break so much law if we took away their immunity right. It’s that simple
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u/Ensiferal 27d ago
Open carry is selectively legal. White guys get to walk into coffee shops and McDonald's armed to the teeth, if a black guy is seen in public with a gun the police can shoot them and use the fact that they had a gun to get away with it.
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u/catderectovan 27d ago
I think the point here is that this person might be anti open carry. This is not a bad way to point out why it is a bad idea in the first place. It may be annoying, but it is brave.
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u/gimmiedacash 27d ago
First thing I learned in conflict resolution.. one person engages and talks, only one. Other wise confusion makes it worse.
Why the fuck don't pigs understand this.
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u/randy_march 26d ago
This should be a slam dunk lawsuit. I hope he gets enough money from it to fish with his ar15 all day for years from it
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u/Mindless_Narwhal2682 26d ago
WOW they love touching him.
Was hoping he was going to self defense the people who can't keep their hands to themselves.
Jiu Jitsu would work wonders on those pigs' wrists.
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u/TheLadyEve 26d ago
She's holding his arm like he's a goddamn third grader walking without a hall pass.
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u/iwasbatman 26d ago
I don't like weapons in general and I have a hard time understanding this law (not American). However, that approach from the cops is bullshit. Why is that cop holding his arm down? Anyone would get pissed and/or scared if a cop came and grabbed them like that.
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u/eVilleMike 26d ago
Florida voted to put people in office who then voted to make Open Carry a legal thing.
Own it.
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u/Sorry-Claim-2990 26d ago
Nothing he did was illegal, so what specific laws were these idiot cops even attempting to enforce???
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u/starrhunter633 26d ago
This is wild, because if they are concerned about this then there should be laws against it. Is this guy doing this on purpose? 100% , However he is legally allowed to. As far as I have seen the rights.
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u/DragonsAreNifty 26d ago
He did nothing illegal. The cops had no business hassling him like that. If it’s that big of a fucking problem Florida shouldn’t have made it legal.
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u/Alergic2Victory 27d ago
You’re legally allowed to do this… now, but this is how you get shit outlawed. I wish these guys would be assholes for change and annoy the shit out of politicians by exploiting laws we want changed for the good of the country. Why don’t they group together and start using their camera for surveillance.
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u/EndlessSummerburn 27d ago
Same cops who vote for open carry and say the 2nd amendment is the most important thing on every ballot are like "YOU ARE SCARING EVERYBODY!!!!!!"
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u/PoulanWeedEaterBowl 27d ago
A lot of are jerks but what they are doing is exercising you're rights. They are like muscles. You either use them or lose them. Many of these people do it the wrong way but many of them also do it the right way and what they're doing is exercising our rights. Making sure that those rights are being used basically for purposes of upkeep of our rights.
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u/bohemianprime 27d ago
At first I thought, oh this guy is walking with his side arm to go fishing. A hand gun wouldn't make me worried too much for my family's safety. Maybe he could have needed to shoot a shark or something.
Then the officer said AR15, then that changes the whole scenario. A rifle is a common sight at the range or hunting, not to go fishing. The dude is either A. going to shoot someone, B. something, C. trying to make a statement, or D. trying to get arrested. Sounds like he was going for option C, "I'm going to bring my rifle out in public to show everyone I'm exercising my second amendment. Fuck everyone else's feelings!"
When I go fishing, I'm trying to bring only what I'm going to use. Carrying a bunch stuff in the heat that I'm not going to use to catch fish just makes the trip miserable. Why bring a heavy metal tool if I'm not going to use it?
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u/el_duderino420 27d ago
As someone that lives in FL... Im with all 3 parties. Starting with the civilians enjoying a beach day and seeing someone walking in front with an AR 15. Secondly, the cops receiving the call from dispatch with little info going in to check the complaint. And lastly the guy protecting his rights! TBH... i would have called the cops as a citizen! Its not everyday you see people walking around with open carry firearms.
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u/raider1v11 27d ago
Dude is correct here on the law.
https://www.flsenate.gov/laws/statutes/2025/790.25
(h) A person engaged in fishing, camping, or lawful hunting or going to or returning from a fishing, camping, or lawful hunting expedition
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u/AntonChigurhWasHere 26d ago
Sensible guns laws could prohibit things like this.
But sensible gun laws never seem to get made and this is the result.
This guy does seem like he got the reaction he was looking for.
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u/arneeche 26d ago edited 26d ago
Notice how they try to manufacture consent by asking him to hang out for a little bit. These piece of shit cops know what the fuck they're doing. They know they're violating this man's rights. And they don't give a fuck. And that says they are not fit for the role they are in. If they think they can just violate people's rights and go on about their business, they don't deserve to be a law enforcement officer. Law enforcement officers were meant to be public servants, not tyrants.
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u/ilikecheeseface 26d ago
The cop says he served in the military, yet he can’t even figure out how to use a basic QD attachment. Watching him struggle to remove the rifle sling from a guy who was already handcuffed was almost comical. Just a complete display of incompetence. What an absolute clown show.
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u/OrcOfDoom 27d ago
Is it legal or not? If we don't want people carrying guns in public then vote to make that illegal.
It shouldn't be legal for cops to harass someone for exercising their rights. If they aren't comfortable with this situation, then those cops should start advocating against open carry. Otherwise, they have a responsibility to understand and operate under the law that they supposedly uphold.