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 āderogatory,āĀ he claimed his freedom of expression was violated, and the deputyās office asked if he was using his free speech to express his desire of āeating a donkey.ā
Keep reading to learn why Webb was arrested over a bumper sticker!
In 2019, a Columbia County sheriffās 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 ā printed in bold white ā reads, āI EAT A**.ā
In the video, the deputy approaches the passenger side of the truck and after saying, āhello gentleman,ā he explains that he pulled the car over due to āthe derogatory stickerā displayed on the back of his truck.
In Florida,Ā law prohibitsĀ āany sticker, decal emblem or other device attached to a motor vehicle containing obscene descriptions, photographs or depictions.ā
āHowās it derogatory?ā Webb asks from inside the car.
The officer replies, āHowās it not derogatory?ā
āSome 10-year-old kid sitting in the passenger seat of his mommaās vehicle looks over and sees āI eat a**ā and asks his mom what it means,ā English says. āHow is she going to explain that?ā
Sniping back, the driver provides the wrong answer: āThatās the parentās job, not my job,ā Webb says before heās asked to present his driverās license and registration.
After stepping out of the vehicle, Webb is searched, and the deputy tells him the sticker is a āmisdemeanor violation of Floridaās obscene materials law.ā
āI have four kidsā¦if my 6-year-old was to look at me and like, ādad what does I eat a** mean?ā¦heās curiousā¦and the way [you] handled this situation, Iām 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 āA**ā to read āAS.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, whoās leaning against his car, looking at his cellphone.
āAll right Mr. Webb. Place your hands behind your back,ā Webb is told. When he asks āwhy?ā he learns ābecause youāre going to jail.ā
Asking āfor what?ā English explains that he was given āthe option to take that offā the window, but he ārefused.ā
He was then arrested and charged with the additional offense of āresisting an officer without violence.ā
āPerverted mindā
āTheyāre just words,ā Webb later toldĀ First Coast News. āIf thatās how they feel, if they have a perverted mind, thatās on them.ā
But according to Sergeant Murray Smith of the Columbia County Sheriffās Office, it wasnāt just the words on the sticker that Deputy English determined was illegal.
āIt was the obscene phrase depicting what the deputy thought was a sexual act, which is obscene by definition,ā said Smith. āWhat 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.
āSo what if he eats donkey. Whatās the big deal?ā asks one netizen. Another, referring to English speaking of his childās potential reaction to the sticker, says, āSince when are a copās feelings deserving of an arrest?ā
āI 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, āHe better keep his kids off the internet. They will see far worse than this.ā
The State Attorneyās 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 āarguably justified under Floridaās obscenity law,ā giving the officer and his supervisor āqualified 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.
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