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A sheriff in northern Florida's Clay County says he will give local gun owners the authority to respond to protests alongside officers from his department if demonstrations become violent.
Sheriff Daryl Daniels of the Clay County Sheriff's Office, near Jacksonville, described his intentions in a video shared to Facebook on Monday. In it, Daniels stood before a line of law enforcement officers and outlined consequences that individuals engaging in "lawlessness" will face when doing so within his office's jurisdiction.
"Somebody has to step up in front of the camera and say 'enough is enough,'" Daniels said. "Tearing up Clay County, that's not going to be acceptable. And if we can't handle you, you know what I'll do? I will exercise the power and authority as the Sheriff, and I'll make special deputies of every lawful gun owner in this county."
His comments about deputizing Clay County residents who own guns came at the tail end of the Sheriff's Office's video. Police will "be waiting on" anyone planning to cause damages during a protest, he warned.
"In Clay County, 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," Daniels said during in Tuesday's video. "Lawlessness, that's unacceptable in Clay County. And if you threaten to come to Clay County and think for one second that we'll bend our backs for you, you're sadly mistaken."
Clay County has not seen much violence take place during recent demonstrations, which have surfaced across the world since Minneapolis resident George Floyd died in police custody on May 25. Looting and property damages were reported during some early protests in several U.S. cities, although most rallies against systemic racism and police abuse have been peaceful.
Keith Smith, the Clay County Sheriff's Office's assistant chief, told News4Jax on Wednesday that the department has received some threats from individuals residing outside the county recently. According to the report, Smith said the individuals threatened to hold protests or damage property in Clay County.
"We don't want this to get out of hand," he said. "We want people to know you have every right to protest, and we will protect that, but Clay County will not tolerate outside instigators."
Newsweek reached out to Clay County Sheriff's Office for comments but did not receive a reply in time for publication.
