Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is pushing for an expansion to the state’s “stand your ground” law that targets people who are accused of looting and rioting, NBC News reports.
Some state legislators received a draft of DeSantis’ “anti-mob” legislation last September, but it was only reported publicly in the last week by The Miami Herald and the Tampa Bay Times. The legislation would update the state’s self-defense law to add criminal mischief, looting, which it defines as “committing burglary within 500 feet of a violent or disorderly assembly," and arson "that results in the interruption or impairment of a business operation,” to the list of actions that allow the use of force, up to and including lethal force, against another person.
The president of the Florida Police Chiefs Association, Satellite Beach Police Chief Jeff Pearson, hailed DeSantis in September for his push, though he did not explicitly endorse this legislation.
Republican former state legislator David Simmons contends that while he hasn’t seen the proposal, if it was “properly drafted, this could make good sense.”
He added: "If you're a business owner and you're in your business and someone does attack you, you don't have to turn and run. You have the right to stand your ground. While a lot of people may want to use 'stand your ground' as a defense, the truth is it has limited applicability and must be properly applied."
However, state Sen. Randolph Bracy, a Democrat, condemned the legislation, which he said “will only fuel racial unrest and violence, not dampen it,” and blasting the governor for “treating the law as a playbook for his next election, which is reckless and irresponsible."
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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