The officer demanded that he remove or the sticker, but the man refused and was arrested 😳😳 Take a closer look at the sticker and see for yourself.

AĀ FloridaĀ man was arrested for displaying anĀ obsceneĀ bumper sticker on the back of hisĀ truck, one that either expressed his sexual preferences, or his love for a four-legged animal.

After Dillon Shane Webb was told the sticker was ā€œderogatory,ā€Ā he claimed his freedom of expression was violated, and the deputy’s office asked if he was using his free speech to express his desire of ā€œeating a donkey.ā€

Keep reading to learn why Webb was arrested over a bumper sticker!

In 2019, a Columbia County sheriff’s deputy was driving behind a pickup truck when he noticed a vulgar sticker plastered on the middle of the rear window.

Dashcam footage shows Deputy Travis English stopping his cruiser in a parking lot behind the brown pickup, operated by Dillon Shane Webb, 23, with the bumper sticker in clear view.

The letters on the sticker – printed in bold white – reads, ā€œI EAT A**.ā€

In the video, the deputy approaches the passenger side of the truck and after saying, ā€œhello gentleman,ā€ he explains that he pulled the car over due to ā€œthe derogatory stickerā€ displayed on the back of his truck.

In Florida,Ā law prohibitsĀ ā€œany sticker, decal emblem or other device attached to a motor vehicle containing obscene descriptions, photographs or depictions.ā€

ā€œHow’s it derogatory?ā€ Webb asks from inside the car.

The officer replies, ā€œHow’s it not derogatory?ā€

ā€œSome 10-year-old kid sitting in the passenger seat of his momma’s vehicle looks over and sees ā€˜I eat a**’ and asks his mom what it means,ā€ English says. ā€œHow is she going to explain that?ā€

Sniping back, the driver provides the wrong answer: ā€œThat’s the parent’s job, not my job,ā€ Webb says before he’s asked to present his driver’s license and registration.

After stepping out of the vehicle, Webb is searched, and the deputy tells him the sticker is a ā€œmisdemeanor violation of Florida’s obscene materials law.ā€

ā€œI have four kids…if my 6-year-old was to look at me and like, ā€˜dad what does I eat a** mean?…he’s curious…and the way [you] handled this situation, I’m not pleased with,ā€ English said before offering Webb the opportunity to explain his sticker to the court system.

Next, the deputy suggests Webb remove one of the letters from the word ā€œA**ā€ to read ā€œAS.ā€ But Webb refused, citing his constitutional right to free speech.

A few minutes later, things take a nasty turn for Webb.

After confirming with his supervisor that he had reasonable rights within the law, English steps out of his cruiser and approaches Webb, who’s leaning against his car, looking at his cellphone.

ā€œAll right Mr. Webb. Place your hands behind your back,ā€ Webb is told. When he asks ā€œwhy?ā€ he learns ā€œbecause you’re going to jail.ā€

Asking ā€œfor what?ā€ English explains that he was given ā€œthe option to take that offā€ the window, but he ā€œrefused.ā€

He was then arrested and charged with the additional offense of ā€œresisting an officer without violence.ā€

ā€˜Perverted mind’

ā€œThey’re just words,ā€ Webb later toldĀ First Coast News. ā€œIf that’s how they feel, if they have a perverted mind, that’s on them.ā€

But according to Sergeant Murray Smith of the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, it wasn’t just the words on the sticker that Deputy English determined was illegal.

ā€œIt was the obscene phrase depicting what the deputy thought was a sexual act, which is obscene by definition,ā€ said Smith. ā€œWhat would a reasonable citizen think? Is the guy eating a donkey or is he doing a sexual act?ā€

The incident captured the attention of a lot of social media users, the majority who defended Webb.

ā€œSo what if he eats donkey. What’s the big deal?ā€ asks one netizen. Another, referring to English speaking of his child’s potential reaction to the sticker, says, ā€œSince when are a cop’s feelings deserving of an arrest?ā€

ā€œI live here and as soon as we heard he got arrested we all went and got the sticker and put it on [our] trucks,ā€ pens a third.

Another adds, ā€œHe better keep his kids off the internet. They will see far worse than this.ā€

The State Attorney’s Office cited the First Amendment and the charges against Webb wereĀ dropped. Later, Webb sued for alleged violations of his First Amendment and Fourth Amendment rights, but U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard of the Middle District of Florida ruled thatĀ the arrestĀ was ā€œarguably justified under Florida’s obscenity law,ā€ giving the officer and his supervisor ā€œqualified immunity,ā€ which means they are protected from the lawsuit.

This case underscores the ongoing debate in the U.S. over free speech and its boundaries, especially around expressions some might find offensive or derogatory. It also reflects how the First Amendment remains a contentious issue, with some insisting their right to free expression is under threat, while others argue for consideration that certain messages will have on the population.

What are your thoughts on this story? Please share your thoughts with us and then share it with your friends so we can get the conversation going!

By Admin