A no-nonsense Florida sheriff has issued an extraordinary warning by telling protesters that authorities will shoot them dead without hesitation if they commit violence.
Violent protests have erupted around the nation inspired by rioters in Los Angeles taking a stand against President Donald Trump and his Immigration Enforcement agents.
But in Florida, Sheriff Wayne Ivey laid down the law with a chilling warning that his officers ‘are not gonna play’ ahead of a scheduled demonstration this weekend.
‘If you throw a brick, a firebomb, or point a gun at one of our deputies, we will be notifying your family where to collect your remains at. Because we will kill you, graveyard dead,’ he said.
Ivey went on to explain in great detail what he meant by ‘turn violent’, breaking down what punishment each individual offense could carry.
‘If you resist lawful orders, you’re going to jail,’ he said. ‘If you block an intersection or a roadway, you’re going to jail.
‘If you flee arrest, you’re going to go to jail tired, because we are going to run you down and put you to jail.
‘If you try to mob roll a car… gathering around and refusing to let the driver leave, in our county you’re most likely going to get run over and dragged across the street.
Violent protests have erupted around the nation inspired by the rioters in Los Angeles (pictured) taking a stand against President Donald Trump and his Immigration Enforcement agents
Protests spread to San Antonio, Texas on Wednesday as Americans rally against Trump’s policies
‘If you spit on us, you’re going to the hospital, and then jail. If you hit one of us, you’re going to the hospital, and then jail, and most likely bitten by one of our big, beautiful dogs here.’
Ivey’s comments attracted praise from MAGA loyalists who celebrated his commitment to ‘upholding the law.’
‘That’s it.. I’m moving to Florida,’ one supporter said. ‘This man is the GOAT [greatest of all time].’
‘This is how you keep order,’ another said, in an apparent reference to Trump’s repeated criticism of California’s Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom.
Newsom has been locked in a war of words with Trump over his handling of riots in LA, insisting that Trump’s decision to deploy 700 Marines and 4,100 National Guard troops had made the violence worse.
Trump hit back and insisted: ‘We will not allow an American city to be invaded and conquered by a foreign enemy.’
The riots in LA started last Friday on the back of ICE raids across the city.
In the days since, new protests have flared across the country. Volatile protests prompted city officials to enforce curfews in Los Angeles and Spokane.
And Republican governors in Texas and Missouri mobilized National Guard troops to be ready to help law enforcement manages demonstrations in those states.
Police fought off protesters in New York this week amid nationwide riots
In Seattle, a protester watched as a dumpster was set alight in a protest
Activists are planning ‘No Kings’ events across the country on Saturday to coincide with Trump’s planned military parade in Washington, DC. Pictured: A protest in San Antonio
Activists are planning ‘No Kings’ events across the country on Saturday to coincide with Trump’s planned military parade in Washington, DC.
The Trump administration said immigration raids and deportations will continue regardless.
In Las Vegas 94 people were arrested on ‘various criminal and traffic’ charges, and four officers were injured in a Wednesday night protest. Some in the estimated crowd of about 800 threw bottles and rocks at law enforcement, police said.
Meanwhile hundreds of protesters marched through downtown Seattle Wednesday evening to a federal building where immigration cases are heard.
Some of them dragged a dumpster nearby and set it on fire. The building was covered in graffiti, with “Abolish ICE Now” written in large letters across its front window. They moved electric bikes and cones to block its entrance.
Tuscon, Arizona and San Antonio, Texas have also been hotbeds of protest this week.
But authorities across the nation have now set their sights on the No Kings protests scheduled for 2,000 locations across the country this weekend.
Cars were set alight in Downtown Los Angeles as rioting turned violent
The riots in LA started last Friday on the back of ICE raids across the city
The Trump administration said immigration raids and deportations will continue regardless of the carnage in the streets
Trump’s critics are rallying against a military parade in Washington to mark the Army’s 250th anniversary, which coincides with Trump’s 79th birthday.
The No Kings Day of Defiance is expected to be the largest single-day mobilization since Trump returned to office, organizers said.
Organizers said they are preparing for millions of people to take to the streets across all 50 states.
