Man Faces Harassment Charges After Threatening Muslim Family in Lakewood Ranch
The family, who requested anonymity for safety reasons, reported the incident to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. The man, who has not been charged, is not being identified by News Channel 8.
Detectives reviewed the video, which shows a man in orange shorts and a white shirt shouting, “go back to your country,” “get the (expletive) out of my country,” and “I’ll (expletive) kill you.”
The family called the police, and when a deputy arrived, he advised them to not let the incident ruin their evening. A family member responded, “we can’t ignore somebody saying that they want to kill us and shoot us in a public place.” The deputy assured them he would file a report.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) obtained the full report, which indicated that while the man’s comments were offensive, they fell under free speech. An attorney for the family contacted the sheriff’s office in July, and a warrant for harassment charges was sent to the state attorney’s office.
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Wilfredo Ruiz, Outreach Director for CAIR-FL, questioned the delay in charging the man, stating, “Why in this particular case, when this family, Muslim family, are victim, you’re dragging your feet?” Ruiz also expressed concern over the time taken to address the case.
Attorney Bryant Camareno explained that verbal threats require the apparent ability to carry out the threat, which might be missing in this case. He emphasized the difficulty in distinguishing between free speech and verbal assault.
The man in the video, who claimed to be recovering from an alcohol problem and trying different medications, told deputies he did not mean his threats and did not own any weapons.
The sheriff’s office found probable cause to charge him with harassment or intimidation based on religious or ethnic heritage, a first-degree misdemeanor. The warrant is now under review by the State Attorney’s Office.
Source: Agencies
