Video has gone viral, viewed more than 38,000 times in January
http://www.sott.net/article/257460-Man-arrested-despite-legally-carrying-gun-in-Florida
More than 10,000 people in the last week alone have already viewed a video going viral on the Internet that shows a motorist being arrested in Florida despite legally carrying a gun.

The dashboard cam video shows a Citrus County deputy arresting Joel Smith, the man with the gun, and now gun advocates say the video is proof Florida needs to change its current law.

"Your license tag expired," said Deputy Alan Cox in the video.


Seventeen seconds after getting out of the car, Smith was asked for his registration and insurance. As he turned, something was slightly visible in his back pocket.

"Why do you carry a gun for?" Cox asked.

Ten seconds later, Smith was being held at gunpoint.

"Put your hands right up, or I'll shoot you in the (expletive) back," Cox said. "Get down on the (expletive) ground now."

Smith is legally licensed to carry a concealed weapon, but was handcuffed and arrested anyway, charged with carrying a prohibited weapon openly.

The United Sportsmen of Florida calls it an overreaction.

"A law enforcement officer losing it and abusing a law-abiding citizen who had done nothing wrong, and was doing anything he could to cooperate," said Marion Hammer, of the United Sportsmen of Florida.

When the case got to the courthouse, the state attorney declined to prosecute, saying there was little chance a jury would convict.

Florida law was changed in 2011 to say the brief viewing of a gun in a non-threatening manner is not a crime. United Sportsmen said Smith's case and another are proof Florida needs to do more.

"They're arguing that the accidental exposure was not brief," Hammer said.

Smith's attorney for the arrest called Smith's cellphone and found the number had been changed. A listed landline is also no longer in service.

The charges against Smith were dropped 17 days after the arrest. Cox has been put on administrative leave pending an internal investigation.

It was an over reaction by the policeman. Police think that they should be the only people allowed to carry a gun.

He saw the gun and just about chit his pants.

it's cops like that nuttick that make all cops look bad

That's the type Liberals trust packing.

Thanks for sharing, many police will err on the side of safety, this one should have let the driver off with warning of CC details instead of arresting him. Looks like DA and legal system responded properly. Stay vigilant!

By the video, I saw a nutcase way over-reacting. He should not have sworn at the dude. Or, is verbally abusing citizens just part of their power play?

Smith needs to sue jacka$$ and the department that trusted him with a firearm.

fixed it for you...

What he really means is that if they did convict that would offer us (Florida open carry and other such organizations) to be able to fight the vagueness of the word "brief" within the law removing the subjective ability of police to engage in such behaviors.

The cop should lose his job. We don't need people like that as cops.

Good thing he didn't act aggressively, he wouldn't be here to complain about it...which the cops would have been in their right.

Gotta shoot someone before they can shoot you....

he never acted any way to deserve that from the cop...

Yes he did, he had a weapon that was a threat to a cop.

whatever. your liberal extremist views are scary

It was only a perceived threat. I watched the video and the man made no threats or moves that would indicate any threats.

On the other hand the cop verbally threatened to blow the man's freaking brains out.

The cop threatened to kill the man. He will be reprimanded and should be fired.

Police are supposed to protect and serve not bully and threaten.

I don't know how to transfer pics to here. There is a cartoon with every one with a gun pointed at someone while they do their errands every day. That is the only way that guns could be everywhere and not be a threat is if all of them are pointed at anyone they perceive as a potential threat all the time. Locked loaded unsafetied and finger on the trigger 24/7/365. Otherwise whenever a gun is in public it is a threat to those around it. We don't know if he is crazy. We don't know if he is one of those gun crazies who thinks he is the good guy and will open fire when he sees a threat....mowing down the innocent by standers while he saves the day in his false little world...

So yea, wear your gun in public and you will be treated as a threat....and rightfully so.

Good for him.

He would be dead if he had done anything more threatening while wearing a threatening gun.

So then I guess we are justified to treat cops as a threat. They wear their guns in the public.

And if all cops are ******** like this one or trigger happy cowards like this cop, then yes, all cops wearing guns should be considered to be threats.

he threatened to "shoot him in the back"... thats the kind of police willow wants protecting her...

He was threatening an innocent citizen who had a legal right to carry a gun and was within his rights and you say "good for him?"

He should be sued for every penny he has.

I hope is gets fired and is sued for harassment.

If you have a legal permit to carry a weapon, you cannot be harassed just because some trigger happy foul mouthed coward cop gets excited.

you been here as long as i have and you can't post a pic?