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!
Son’s Restoration of 45-Year-Old Family Car Melts Hearts, Gets 14M Views
Remember when Tommy surprised his parents by restoring their 45-year-old Ford XA Superbird? Oh, what a moment that was! For us, cars aren’t just metal and engines; they’re memory capsules, taking us back to places we loved and times we cherish. That lime-green Ford Falcon XA Superbird that Tommy’s dad bought in 1973 was more than a car; it was a family member.
Ah, 1973! Disco fever was just starting to catch on, and bell-bottoms were the thing. Can’t you just hear the sizzle of vinyl records as you drop the needle on your favorite album? It was a time when Saturday mornings meant cartoons and sugar-loaded cereal. Imagine Tommy’s dad cruising down Melbourne’s roads with the windows down, the fresh air mingling with the faint scent of leather seats.
Now let’s get cozy and dive into Tommy’s journey. His father bought that Superbird in ’73 as his first car, and it soon became the family’s trusty steed. It took them to school, family events, shopping trips—you name it. Even after an unfortunate tumble into a ditch rendered it unusable, the car sat on their farm, a silent but constant reminder of happier times.
That car was like a playground for young Tommy. One of his favorite memories was sitting on his mom’s lap, hands gripping the large steering wheel as they navigated the lengthy driveway of their farm. The Superbird wasn’t just an object; it was an emotional treasure chest filled with moments like these.
But years flew by like pages of a flipbook, and the Ford XA Superbird sat untouched. Tommy had to wait for the right time and resources to start the restoration, but his devotion never waned. And one day in 2013, Tommy knew that if he didn’t start the project soon, there would be nothing left to restore.
Unlike your typical restorer, Tommy wasn’t an expert mechanic or a detailing whiz. He played the role of the loving son and passionate project manager. Thanks to social media and car forums, he connected with like-minded enthusiasts who helped him source those elusive parts for the car. And after years of meticulous planning and piecing the car back together, the Superbird was reborn.
When his parents saw the restored Ford XA Superbird, their faces lit up like the summer sky on the Fourth of July. It was as if time had folded onto itself, and they were back in their youthful days. No words were needed—the sheer happiness and mutual respect between Tommy and his parents spoke volumes.
If you want to discover more heartwarming tales, check out the video above. It features more unforgettable restoration stories that will flood your senses with beautiful nostalgia. Don’t forget to like and share, because revisiting these cherished memories is what keeps our hearts young.
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