Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey announced to expected protesters during a press conference that the State of Florida will not “play” with rioters, signifying a stark difference in the state’s approach to riot mitigation compared to California.
“If you resist lawful orders, you’re going to jail. Let me be very clear about that. If you block an intersection or a roadway in Brevard County, you are going to jail. If you flee arrest, you are going to go to jail tired because we are going to run you down and put you in jail,” Ivey said. “If you try to mob-rule a car in Brevard County — gathering around it, refusing to let the driver leave — in our county, you’re most likely going to get run over and dragged across the street. If you spit on us, you are going to the hospital, and then jail. If you hit one of us, you are going to the hospital and jail — and most likely, get bitten by one of our big, beautiful dogs that we have here.”
“If you throw a brick, a firebomb, or point a gun at one of our deputies, we will be notifying one of your family members where to collect your remains at because we will kill you, graveyard dead,” he stated. “We’re not going to play.”
“This has got to stop. You’re watching what’s taking place out there. You’re seeing police officers that are being attacked, that are being spit on, being put in harm’s way, just for doing their jobs. You’re seeing ICE agents that are being targeted for doing their jobs,” he stated. “And you’re seeing obstructions that are doing all of this, standing in the way of law and order.”
The statement comes as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) permitted drivers to hit protesters without facing charges if they are approached by a mob.
“And so if you drive off and you hit one of these people, that’s their fault for impinging on you,” he declared. “You don’t have to sit there and just be a sitting duck and let the mob grab you out of your car and drag you through the streets. You have a right to defend yourself in Florida.”
