Sheriff vows to deputize 'every lawful gun owner' if violence flares

FPI / July 3, 2020

A Florida sheriff says he is prepared to deputize civilian gun owners in his suburban Jacksonville county if demonstrators were to turn violent.

Sheriff Darryl Daniels said that if anyone starts “tearing up Clay County, that is not going to be acceptable.”

“If we can’t handle you, I’ll exercise the power and authority as the sheriff and I’ll make special deputies of every lawful gun owner in the county,” Daniels said.

“I’ll deputize them to this one purpose: to stand in the gap between lawlessness and civility.”

Sporting a white cowboy hat as he stood in front of 18 deputies, Daniels said he would protect peaceful protests — but added “the second you step out from up under the protection of the Constitution, we’ll be waiting on you and give you everything you want: all the publicity, all the pain, all the glamour and glory for all that five minutes will give you.”

“Don’t fall victim to subjecting yourself to this conversation that law enforcement is bad, that law enforcement is the enemy of the citizens that we’re sworn to protect and serve,” Daniels said. “We swore an oath, and in that oath we swore to support, protect and defend the Constitution.”

Daniels said that his department has a “great relationship” with the county's residents, adding that “if you come to Clay County and think for one second we’ll bend our backs for you, you’re sadly mistaken.”



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