The Tallahassee Police Department (TPD) released information about the altercation that took place Saturday at an unscheduled downtown protest that involved an individual that was attacked and then brandished a gun.
TPD reported:
- A local group hosted a non-permitted protest on downtown streets.
- An individual was pushed from behind by a white protester, which led to a physical altercation between the individual and several other white males.
- The individual was knocked to the ground. He got back to his feet and brandished a gun. TPD officers quickly engaged, took the individual into custody and peacefully dispersed the crowd.
- The evidence confirmed the physical altercation between numerous protestors and that the individual was knocked to the ground and under attack before lawfully defending himself. TPD confirmed that the individual with the gun was lawfully carrying a concealed weapon as a license holder.
- Based on the totality of evidence, no assault charges have been applied to any of the individuals involved in the fight or the individual with the gun.
- To keep everyone involved safe, local protests must be permitted to allow for proper staffing, notifications and safety measures to be put in place.
The Full TPD Release
August 30, 2020
The safety of the community is TPD’s No. 1 priority. Yesterday, Aug. 29, in line with their training, officers quickly de-escalated a tense situation that could have turned into tragedy.
A local group hosted a non-permitted protest on downtown streets. With no advance notice to or coordination with TPD to ensure safety, the group gathered and blocked the intersection of Monroe Street and Apalachee Parkway with people and cars. Despite not being notified, TPD officers, who were in the area, moved in to stop traffic at the intersection to provide safety for the protest.
During the protest, a white male entered the crowd and began documenting the protest. That individual was pushed from behind by a white protester, which led to a physical altercation between the individual and several other white males. During the altercation, the individual was knocked to the ground. He got back to his feet and brandished a gun. TPD officers quickly engaged, took the individual into custody and peacefully dispersed the crowd. There were no reported injuries.
Video from several sources were available to review the incident. They can be viewed [here]. TPD investigators worked with the State Attorney’s Office to review the evidence of the physical altercation. The evidence confirmed the physical altercation between numerous protestors and that the individual was knocked to the ground and under attack before lawfully defending himself. TPD confirmed that the individual with the gun was lawfully carrying a concealed weapon as a license holder.
Fortunately, TPD intervened before the altercation escalated. Based on the totality of evidence, no assault charges have been applied to any of the individuals involved in the fight or the individual with the gun.
TPD is working to provide safe environments for peaceful protests; just hours earlier in the day, the Florida A&M University football program organized and permitted a peaceful walk to the Old Capitol building. The walk was held without incident. It was coordinated and planned to provide for safe passage. Impromptu protests do not allow for adequate TPD support and create potentially dangerous conflicts with vehicles and other individuals. To keep everyone involved safe, local protests must be permitted to allow for proper staffing, notifications and safety measures to be put in place. This helps protect both participants and the community at large.
Tensions are very high, and TPD is calling for protests and actions to remain peaceful. Verbal and physical altercations can quickly escalate into tragedy. Everyone must work together to de-escalate conflict.
TPD: Protestor Lawfully Defended Himself added by Steve Stewart on
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Logically a person can not “lawfully defend themselves” unless another person or persons commit a CRIME or crimes against the person who needed to lawfully defend themselves.
Yet no charges are filed??? What’s up with that???
TPD run 100% by Reese Goad the most inept and leftist police department in Florida.
DeFund Reese Goad as soon as possable!!!!
You don’t a permit to protest. You have a right to assemble. But not in the street blocking others right to use the same Public spaces, in this case to drive.
We don’t really know who started the fight. All we have is the video which appears to show an assault on the man, him defending himself, and then complying with the police. This is exactly what we want to see. Comply with police orders and they won’t shoot you.
However, if people keep blocking the roads and harassing others, someone is going to get hurt. If you go to counter BLM, you will get hurt. Stay home. Let them waste their time and let the police deal with them.
but the police are NOT dealing with them, that’s the problem. So far they have not burned police cars or bashed any windows of businesses (that we know of), but that may change this weekend. If you don’t rein it in initially, they get the idea that they can do whatever they want.
Gary is correct, but the charge would be battery. In the upper video, at the 8 second mark, a white male with long dark hair wearing a black short sleeve shirt is clearly the aggressor, knocking the victim to the ground. At the 12 second mark, a fat white male wearing a black short sleeve shirt and black shorts kicks the victim in the head while the victim is still on the ground.
At the 2:24 mark in the lower WCTV video, both the assailants can be seen getting into a white 4 door car along with two other occupants, both dressed in black, and prepare to leave. A police officer appears to be writing down the tag number of the vehicle when the video ends. The people in the white car are clearly second tier street organizers/instigators. There is valuable intel to be gained regarding the first tier organizers they answer to.
What should TPD have done:
detain the vehicle and its occupants
separate them in diifferent police vehicles
obtain video and witness statements
conduct a warranted search of the vehicle
impound the vehicle as evidence and an instrumentality of the crime as it was used to facilitate an incitement to riot or move for the vehicles forfieture
arrest the assailants
Don’t expect much from Chief Revell. An organization rots from the head down. FDLE is utterly useless. What restored order in a chaotic situation? A firearm.
hard to tell if Revell is the problem. He’s given marching orders (or do NOT march) from Goad.
When I was that age, we just got together and partied for girls and beer. Now, they protest and beat each other! This is progress?
If TPD or LCSO will not break up these un-permitted street protests FDLE or FHP need to step up and clear the right of ways. The last thing we want is first responders impeded by un-lawfully blocked streets.
These protests in this specific area of the Capital City occur within 30 feet or less of The Capital Building of the entire State of Florida.
Why cant we have a strong presence of FDLE, The Highway Patrol, and Florida National Guard on the scene to protect the people of Florida’s interest? Rather than leaving State property to be defended and protected by the most liberal and inept police department in the entire state of Florida.
I’m not keeping up. Can one invoke the principle of reasonable fear of death or severe physical injury when they go to a protest with a gun and induce a confrontation?
Not that the protesters and city hall don’t have dirty hands in this whole sorry situation.
Respectfully, Rick… you’re making a less-than pragmatic assumption there. Anyone can attend a protest – illegal protest or otherwise. That a given individual carries a permitted weapon is inconsequential to his or her attendance. And you assume that said person “induced” the confrontation.
HOW did they “induce a confrontation”? Details, please.
Why are the Tallahassee police letting people shut down intersections? If people start getting shot up its on them for letting things get out of hand.
“Stay home, social distance, wear a mask,” except when protesting… It’s the first amendment, right? That is unless you aren’t the one spreading the virus or protesting. In that case you can just get stuffed.
“Unpermitted assembly?” Then break the damned thing up TPD, especially during a pandemic.
Interesting how the individual who started it got off scott free. I’m talking about the person who knocked the man down in the first place, causing him to pull his gun. That was the crime right there (well, the second one; see “unpermitted assembly” above), but he walked away. Imagine of the old guy had cracked his head open on the pavement. It could have been murder.
Selective law enforcement will bring more chaos to our streets.
This was not a Peaceful Protest and should be called out as such.
First, it was held without a permit: against the law!
Second, it blocked roads: against the law!
Third, a protest participant assaulted a person: against the law!
TPD and City of Tallahassee should have issued citations to the organizer and those who violated the law. Why didn’t they immediately?
These comments crack me up!! Ya’ll still using the term snowflake and what does Ben have to do with this ????. Some of y’all need a cookie, a hug and a pat on the head cause y’all mad mad. I’m glad no one was seriously hurt or killed. If the gun toting person was not bothering anyone he should not have been touched. But that’s just one side of the story. He knew what was happening cause it was all over the news. He should have stayed home.
Ben Crump is inciting violence across the United States. That’s what this has to do with that. He does it for monetary gain not humanity.
Three City commissioners, Richardson, Williams-Cox, and the former Elaine Bryant were inciting violence by painting controversial political messages on the street misusing taxpayer dollars to do so.
People are tired of people acting out and playing the victim and trying to shove it down our throats to make out like everyone else are racists.
The protesters are acting the fool and are ignorant and lazy they need to expend their energies on working and education and quit playing the victim. They have no respect for their community, hard-working citizens, and the businesses in the community. Not to mention their lack of respect for the law enforcement.
All lives matter!
mind reading is legal but dumb,
Why do we listen to ignorant fools that follow a movement based on lies and a marxist foreign corporation ?
Who the hell do they work for ?
Certainly not a pack of foreign paid domestic terrorists.
When government leaders fail to uphold the law, eventually, Citizens will do what is necessary to protect themselves, their family, their property, and their Nation… hence, the 2nd Amendment. If you’re not carry’n by now, you ought to be.
It’s coming like a freight train, and they know it… hence, the push to disarm We The People.
Watch your six, Americans, and be prepared once again to defend our Republic from Her enemies both foreign and domestic… and may God continue to bless and protect America, Her President, Her Constitution, Her Laws, Her Sovereignty, and “We The People”
Watch how fast the street can actually be cleared; then still say “TPD was doing their job.”
What is it that de-escalated the violence and cleared the street..?…THE GUN.!
TPD did nothing to clear the street or de-escalate the violence.!…but THE GUN.!
Rioters, BLM know they don’t not need to fear to Police.!….but THE GUN.!
They have no fear of the Police as the Police are in Mayor Dailys pocket. But the Patriot with THE GUN ends the whole shit in moments and is released with no charges.
I may as well start supporting defunding the Police; start with all LEO protection pulled from the Mayor, all City and County Elected Officials and all City and County Buildings.
I’ll support my local Police and Sheriff and where ever LEO they do their job, but as the TPD and LCSD job is now political and to guard these lawbreakers and potential rioters; no I will not support that. It’s not of my political persuasion nor patriotism to do so.
An armed provocateur enters a constitutionally allowed demonstration with the intent of provoking confrontation and does just that. Assault is the crime.
He has a concealed carry permit in order to exercise his constitutionally allowed right to keep and bear arms; he went to the capitol building of Florida to exercise his constitutionally allowed rights of freedom of assembly and speech and he was attacked and exercised his right to self-defense as defined by the constitution and the laws of Florida. You are right, assault is a crime and those that assaulted him should have been arrested.
mind reading is legal but dumb,
The article says the Tallahassee Action Coalition not have a permit to protest.. If that is true , then the Tallahassee action coalition should be sent a bill by the city of Tallahassee to cover the cost of the police and the state attorney.
The mayor and the city commission needs to do their job and send them a bill.
If they had a permit before then they new the rules and requirements.
100% correct, and an excellent take on the fiscal responsibility approach.
Just when the Tallahassee Democrat made some steps forward with their candidate forums that were informative and non biased we have to read an article this week from Tamaryn Waters. It was the worst article I’ve ever read. It was a PR piece for Sheriff McNeil and Sean Pittman.
The Tallahassee Democrat also ran an article about gang violence in Tallahassee. Why wasn’t this article run prior to the election?
The editor of the Tallahassee Democrat either needs to edit Tamaryn or declare her as a PR rep for The Usual Suspects.
Here is some information that readers would like to know:
How much did the McNeil campaign pay the Tallahassee Democrat for advertising during this campaign cycle?
Was the gang violence article purposely withheld until after the election?
When will the editor stop PR for The Usual Suspects by Tamaryn Waters?
They should not have been protesting to start with. The man was defending himself after being assaulted and dropped the gun as TPD approached and offered no resistance. It was enjoyable to watch the Snowflakes scatter when he pulled the weapon. They went from the big bad wolf to a timid hare in a hurry running fro a treat they created 1
That’s exactly how these paid-for agitators operate… they weasel in behind and throughout the crowd, start pushing and hitting people, throwing rocks at LEOs, et al… and when all hell breaks loose, they scamper away like the little cowardice rats they truly are. And yes… it is long past time to start tracking them and exposing them, along with their financiers. America and Americans have a right to know who is really behind this destructive mayhem.
Weekly Tales from Tally:
Shut Ben Crump down! He is the instigator of massive protests across the country!
I saw a policeman a week ago try and arrest a man who was committing multiple felonies right before our eyes and had committed felonies that the police knew about prior to this. Ben Crump should rather than get on national TV and scream victim should rewind and say don’t do this!
Three little children are safe from a dangerous man and father that disrespects women, his children, and the police.
At least Ben Crump should get more information before screaming victim and let the facts play out. Kenosha should send ambulance chaser Ben Crump a bill for all the destruction in Racine.
I saw a police officer have to make decisions time and time again in seconds and he saved the lives of innocent citizens, innocent children, and the perpetrators girlfriend.
Kenosha not Racine.
Sorry, don’t show up to a protest you are opposed to carrying your gun. What an idiot, going out there and provoking people so he can have a reason to shoot them. Crazy man stay home next time. There are enough problems in the world right now.
You are wrong. Opposition can show up with or without a legally carried firearm. If he wasn’t attacked,, no one would have even known he was carrying. He showed restraint not firing the gun after being attacked. Prime example of good guy with gun preventing something worse from happening.
Sorry, but you do not understand in the State of Florida anyone eligible can apply for and receive a conceal carry permit and carry a weapon on their person. I’d sure as hell carry my weapon if I was around a Leftist protest.
mind reading is legal but dumb,
This is officially too much. Revell and Reese Goad have created an unsafe environment with no accountability and no public oversight and at this point, they must resign or be fired.
TPD should have immediately broken up an unauthorized protest and cleared the streets.
By allowing the protest to continue they assume responsibility for any violence that happens after the point of notification, it’s their fault an altercation happened in the first place for not keeping the streets clear.
Protesters can march on the Capitol steps, on the sidewalks, on the grass, there’s plenty of space.
TPD, it’s a little late to try and make yourself look good. This isn’t the first, in the street protest that you have turned a blind eye to! As soon as you found out, that this wasn’t a permitted protest, you should have shut it down, immediately! Instead, you let it go on and get out of hand! This comes from the top and Revell has a lot of explaining to do or he should turn in his badge if he cannot run TPD properly. We need leadership!! Tallahassee is now out of control, due to both TPD and LCSO, showing exactly, where they stand, during this difficult times! Do the job your were sworn into do! If you have a conflict of interest… Turn in your badge!
Since this protest had no permit, why weren’t they arrested? They blocked traffic at a major intersection for a long time.TPD should enforce the laws for EVERYONE.
Tallahassee is a peaceful, family oriented town. We don’t want it turned into a hell-hole, burned down & torn apart by political stunts. When was the last time we heard from BLM? Oh yes, four years ago, just before the last presidential election. We see what’s going on. Our local law enforcement & commissioners need to step up & do their jobs.
Enough is enough! The UNLAWFUL assembling, the looting, theft, and destruction of property, ALL crimes the last time I checked. It’s time for law enforcement to get back the authority to do what statutes demand! You break the law,,, you go to JAIL!!!
Hey TPD how can you allow these Snowflakes to block a main intersection without a permit! Goad is total lack of leadership and a puppet for the political elite.
Stop these protests in the streets before someone is killed. TPD needs to step up.
Why are they allowed to block traffic?
The demonstrater who shoved this person from behind should have been charged with asault, and the cars in the roadway should have beem charged with illeagle parking.
Come om TPD do your job. All yje protesters should have been arrested for blocking the roadway,or is blocking a public road now ok in tallahassee.
Can we find out who is telling the police to not arrest or disperse individuals who are illegally blocking a major intersection? Public records request for emails?
I think police are stuck. They are outnumbered and can’t use the force needed. It will make things worse. If all they are doing is inconveniencing others , let them run out of steam.