A 23-year-old Florida man was pulled over by camouflaged deputies in an armored personnel carrier (APC) after he showed them his middle finger out the window of his car Saturday.
A video out of Gainesville, Florida shows the man being given a warning by the camouflage-wearing deputies dressed in full gear for patrol near the University of Florida spring football game.
The video shows a long conversation where Lucas Jewell said the Alachua County sheriff’s deputies were treating Gainesville like it was “Baghdad”, a reference to law enforcement in America in becoming increasingly militarized.
The deputies say they pulled him over on the basis that he made an “improper hand signal” when he flipped them off. They also accused him of receiving fellatio from his girlfriend, who had been sleeping with her head in his lap. Jewell was reportedly detained for almost 30 minutes, they released him with a warning for the improper hand signal.
Although in some cases it is legal to flip off police, of course it is not smart.
While Jewell was recording the detainment, one deputy warned him not to point the phone in his direction because it made him fear for his life, which could lead to a lethal response.
“I don’t mind you recording that but you are not going to point it at me I don’t want you to point it at me because there are firearms that are made like that,” he said.
Andrew Demeter of Teen Take caught up with Jewell to discuss his experience which is just another disturbing reminder of the growing police state.