Clay County Sheriff/Facebook Clay County Sheriff, Darryl Daniels said if destructive protestors come to his county he will deputize legal gun owners to help police.
A Florida Sheriff posted a three-minute-long Facebook video Tuesday saying that if lawlessness in the form of Black Lives Matter protest come to Clay County where he is sheriff then he’ll deputize legal gun owners so they can “stand in the gap between lawlessness and civility.”
Clay County Sheriff Darryl Daniels said, “tearing up Clay County — that’s not gonna be acceptable. And if we can’t help you. You know what I’ll do, I’ll exercise the power and authority of the sheriff, and I’ll make special deputies of every lawful gun owner in this county. And I’ll deputize them for this one purpose to stand in the gap between lawlessness and civility. That’s what we’re sworn to do. And that’s what we’re going to do.”
“You’ve been warned,” he said.
Daniels also said, “Yes, we’ll protect your constitutional rights as long as you remain under the umbrella of peaceful protest, or peaceful march. But the second that you step out from under the protection of the Constitution will be waiting on you.
You can watch the full video here:
Sheriff Daniels Says People Should Not Believe the Media Narrative ‘That Law Enforcement Is The Enemy of the Citizens’ & ‘Enough is Enough’
According to Daniels, he made the video flanked by Clay County deputies to address the public who may be thinking of coming to his county which is just Southeast of Jacksonville.
Daniels said it’s all good in Clay County, and they want to keep it that way.
He said, “we have a great quality of life. We have a great relationship with our community, but across this country, not so much. I just wanted to take a stand with these men and with these women who feel the same way that I do. Lawlessness — that’s unacceptable in this country. And if you threatened to come to Clay County and think that for one second that will bend our backs for you. You’re sadly mistaken. I know what happens when lawlessness prevails.”
Clay County had about 215,000 residents in 2019. That year there were 6,161 arrests, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement .
Daniels said he’s not making threats, but “enough is enough.”
Daniels said they support, protect and defend the rights in the Constitution, but to those who mean to cause harm, “we will give you everything you want. All the publicity, all the pain. All the glamour and glory for all that five minutes will give you. Is it a threat? Absolutely not. But somebody has to step up in front of the camera and say, enough is enough.”
According to Daniels, what is missing from the media message and the Black Lives Matter movement is God, but he says God is with him and his deputies.
He said, “And in this day and time, God is raising up men and women just like the folks you see standing behind me who will have strong backbones and will stand in the gap between lawlessness and the good citizenry that was sworn to protect and serve, so you can throw it all you want.”
Daniels continued, “You can say, ‘hey let’s go to Clay County’, or let’s go to some other peaceful county where their problems don’t exist or not so much like across this country, where relationships are great and not strained, and where the people support their Sheriff and support the men and women who wear the uniform. And you’ll have something waiting on you that you don’t want.”
The Clay County Commission Passed a Resolution in November in Favor of Preserving Gun Owners Rights
GettyAssault rifles hang on the wall for sale.
Clay County became the fourth in Florida to pass legislation having to do with gun rights after calls for change in what is permissible for gun owners came on the heels of the Parkland School Shooting in 2018.
The measure was passed but they removed the word “sanctuary” — as in “sanctuary city” – for Second Amendment rights.
A statement from a Board of Commissioners spokesperson said, “The resolution declares Clay County’s support of the Second Amendment and opposition to any future infringement on the right to bear arms, but the word “sanctuary” was removed from the Resolution before Commissioners voted to approve it. The intent of the resolution is to preserve for the people of, on, and in Clay County, their rights guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States of America and to reaffirm the oath each commissioner took to support, protect and defend the Constitution and Government of the United States and of the State of Florida,” according to actionnewsjax.
There were 28,478 concealed weapon/Firearm licenses as of May 2020 in Clay County, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture.
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