A Florida man was arrested for displaying an obscene bumper sticker on the back of his 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 “derogatory,” 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 “eating a donkey.”
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, “I EAT A**.”
In the video, the deputy approaches the passenger side of the truck and after saying, “hello gentleman,” he explains that he pulled the car over due to “the derogatory sticker” displayed on the back of his truck.
In Florida, law prohibits “any sticker, decal emblem or other device attached to a motor vehicle containing obscene descriptions, photographs or depictions.”
“How’s it derogatory?” Webb asks from inside the car.
The officer replies, “How’s it not derogatory?”
“Some 10-year-old kid sitting in the passenger seat of his momma’s vehicle looks over and sees ‘I eat a**’ and asks his mom what it means,” English says. “How is she going to explain that?”
Sniping back, the driver provides the wrong answer: “That’s the parent’s job, not my job,” 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 “misdemeanor violation of Florida’s obscene materials law.”
“I have four kids…if my 6-year-old was to look at me and like, ‘dad what does I eat a** mean?…he’s curious…and the way [you] handled this situation, I’m not pleased with,” 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 “A**” to read “AS.” 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.
“All right Mr. Webb. Place your hands behind your back,” Webb is told. When he asks “why?” he learns “because you’re going to jail.”
Asking “for what?” English explains that he was given “the option to take that off” the window, but he “refused.”
He was then arrested and charged with the additional offense of “resisting an officer without violence.”
‘Perverted mind’
“They’re just words,” Webb later told First Coast News. “If that’s how they feel, if they have a perverted mind, that’s on them.”
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.
“It was the obscene phrase depicting what the deputy thought was a sexual act, which is obscene by definition,” said Smith. “What would a reasonable citizen think? Is the guy eating a donkey or is he doing a sexual act?”
The incident captured the attention of a lot of social media users, the majority who defended Webb.
“So what if he eats donkey. What’s the big deal?” asks one netizen. Another, referring to English speaking of his child’s potential reaction to the sticker, says, “Since when are a cop’s feelings deserving of an arrest?”
“I live here and as soon as we heard he got arrested we all went and got the sticker and put it on [our] trucks,” pens a third.
Another adds, “He better keep his kids off the internet. They will see far worse than this.”
The State Attorney’s Office cited the First Amendment and the charges against Webb were 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 that the arrest was “arguably justified under Florida’s obscenity law,” giving the officer and his supervisor “qualified immunity,” 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!
Optical Illusion: You Have To Find The 2 Hidden Cats In This Family Scene
Anyone can spot the family, but you possess exceptional intelligence and perfect vision if you can locate the two concealed cats within 13 seconds.
Enter the realm of visual puzzles where intelligence meets perception.
In this captivating optical illusion, nestled within a seemingly ordinary family scene, lie two elusive felines waiting to be discovered.
With their cunning camouflage, these hidden cats challenge even the sharpest minds to uncover their whereabouts.
As you engage with the intricacies of this image, your cognitive faculties are put to the test, requiring not just keen observation but also strategic analysis.
From the arrangement of objects to the play of light and shadow, every detail holds a clue, beckoning you to unravel the mystery concealed within.
As you delve into this enigmatic tableau, prepare to embark on a journey of mental agility and sleuthing prowess.
Sharpen your focus, embrace the challenge, and let the hunt for the hidden cats begin!
Optical Illusion: There Are 2 Hidden Cats In This Family Scene That You Have To Find
While the family gathers in the living room, the real challenge lies in detecting the two elusive cats cunningly concealed among them.
Achieving success demands impeccable vision and acute powers of observation.
Undoubtedly, this brain teaser ranks among the most formidable ever devised.
The complexities woven into this image elevate the difficulty level, confounding even the most adept puzzle solvers.
Despite its seemingly ordinary appearance, cracking this puzzle is far from straightforward, with most individuals surrendering after a mere minute of effort.
You risk mirroring their path to frustration and failure without giving your utmost. Prepare yourself, set the timer, and put your puzzle-solving prowess to the test.
However, exercise caution, for only the keenest of eyes and the most resolute of minds will prevail, requiring unwavering composure.
Rushing through may lead to errors, so meticulously examine every image detail.
Should you seek assistance, consider breaking the image into manageable sections, methodically scanning each from left to right.
Yet, did you realize that unraveling optical illusions is a potent brain-training exercise, enhancing creative cognition?
These brain teasers are ingeniously crafted to deceive our perception, serving as litmus tests for intelligence.
Challenges like this, demanding the discovery of hidden images within images, foster the brain’s capacity to decipher ambiguity.
The Answer Is Below!
Ah, the clever camouflage of the elusive felines revealed!
One of the cunning cats was stealthily nestled near the man’s foot, while the other lay concealed upon the woman’s lap.
Their subtle positions amidst the familial scene tested the limits of perception and observation.
Yet, with keen eyes and perseverance, the mystery has been unraveled, and the hidden cats are brought into the light.
Such intricate details within the image elevate the challenge and reward the sharp-eyed with a triumphant sense of discovery.
What do you think about it? Do let us know in the comments.
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