A sheriff from Clay County, California, suggested he’s going to deputize lawful gun owners if violent protesters prove to be too much to handle.
According to Sheriff Darryl Daniels, he could resort to assigning “special deputies” that would act in support of the community by standing “in the gap between lawlessness and civility.”
The sheriff’s comments follow amid nation-wide protests of which some have turned violent and ended up in the destruction of property and escalations between the police force and the demonstrators.
“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 and I’ll deputize them to this one purpose: to stand in the gap between lawlessness and civility,” the sheriff said in his Facebook video in which he’s seen surrounded by his deputies.
While Daniels explained that peaceful protests would be protected, he insisted that “tearing up” his county would not be tolerated.
As Assistant Chief Keith Smith claimed in an interview with News4Jax, the increase in threats to the county from the outside has been slight so far. However, they issued a warning to potential instigators before things spiral out of control.
“We don’t want this to get out of hand. We want people to know you have every right to protest, and we will protect that, but Clay County will not tolerate outside instigators,” Smith told the outlet.
Smith was also one of the officers who recently painted over the graffiti that popped over the wall near a local church.
According to Daniels, the Clay County police department has a good relationship with the residents but they’re not willing to adjust to outside protesters.
“If you come to Clay County and think for one second we’ll bend our backs for you, you’re sadly mistaken,” he added in his video.
“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.”
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