Category: Florida
Leftist candidate tries to orchestrate Trump ‘gotcha’ — and fails miserably
A leftist congressional candidate launched a lousy attempt to further conflate President Donald Trump with literal Nazis, but failed miserably.
Candidate Mark Davis of Florida sounded the alarm Thursday, noting the website “Nazis.us” redirects users to the Department of Homeland Security page. Davis implied that he stumbled upon this website and urged supporters to “give them a donation.”
‘I pointed it directly at Kristi Noem’s department.’
“OK, I think I have it figured out….if you go to Nazis.us it takes you to our DHS website because, of course it does,” Davis said in a post on X. “It just makes sense. Whoever did that, give them a donation.”
Despite his attempt to frame the Trump administration as Nazis, X users quickly found out that Davis was actually the one who created the website.
RELATED: Florida Panthers praise Trump during White House visit: ‘Nothing beats this’
Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
After getting brutally ratioed in his comment section, Davis changed his tune and openly admitted that he purchased the domain himself.
“If Kristi Noem and donald trump didn’t know my name before, they damn sure do now,” Davis said. “I bought nazis.us. I pointed it directly at Kristi Noem’s department. And now the whole damn world is watching. I just held up a mirror … and they hate their reflection. And it’s a middle finger they can’t erase. You want to cry about ‘decency’? Then maybe don’t prop up fascists while killing women, immigrants and the working class. You built this. I’m just handing out the receipts.”
RELATED: ‘Lectern guy’ from Jan. 6 running for election in Florida to promote ‘MAGA principles’
Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images
Davis, who is running in a deep-red district represented by Republican Congressman Vern Buchanan for over a decade, continued his unhinged rant on X, even urging people to divorce their spouses if they support Trump.
“If your husband or wife still supports trump, leave them. Divorce them. Kick their sorry f**king ass to the curb,” Davis said.
“They backed a pedophile. They cheered for a wannabe dictator. They watch this country burn … and f**king clap[.] And if they chose the rapist who wants to end elections, they don’t deserve your loyalty. Or your home. Or your f**king silence. They f**ked the country. Don’t let them f**k your life too.”
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Handcuffed Florida female grabs gun hidden in her pants, opens fire in moving sheriff’s cruiser, newly released video shows
A newly released surveillance video shows a handcuffed Florida female pulling a gun hidden in her pants and opening fire in a moving sheriff’s cruiser after a traffic stop.
Last June, Rheanna Harden — then 22 years old — was accused of driving with a suspended license, providing false identification to law enforcement, and possession of drugs, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office told WESH-TV.
Court records indicate Harden told investigators she got angry about how she was treated on the way to jail, WFTV reported, adding that she told investigators she said a prayer moments before opening fire.
But despite the deputy checking Harden three times, he never found a gun hidden in her pants, WFTV-TV reported.
In surveillance video WFTV said it recently obtained recorded inside a sheriff’s department cruiser, Harden is seen searching for something in her pants while sitting in the back of the patrol vehicle, WESH said.
Deputies said Harden was “flexible” enough to grab a gun from her pants and open fire while inside the cruiser, WFTV reported. The deputy was driving the vehicle at the time of the shooting, WESH added.
The patrol car crashed into a utility pole before the deputy managed to exit the cruiser and return fire, WESH said, citing the sheriff’s office.
Harden suffered shoulder and hip injuries, and the deputy suffered a graze wound near his right eye, authorities told WESH, which added that both Harden and deputy were hospitalized and later released.
The surveillance video also shows that Harden was able to get her left hand out of her handcuffs at least once, WFTV reported, adding that the deputy handcuffed her three times.
Indeed, investigators added to WFTV that Harden was able to pull off the shooting using a small revolver, despite having been handcuffed behind her back and patted down before her arrest.
Court records indicate Harden told investigators she got angry about how she was treated on the way to jail, WFTV reported, adding that she told investigators she said a prayer moments before opening fire.
Reports indicate Harden fired six rounds.
As you likely expect, Harden was hit with additional charges after the incident — namely attempted second-degree murder of a law enforcement officer and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, the sheriff’s office told WESH.
Harden — who was denied bond — has a lengthy criminal history out of Bay County, which includes fleeing and eluding law enforcement officers and grand theft, WFTV said.
Her next court date is Jan. 29, jail records show.
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5 craziest ‘Florida man’ crime stories of 2025 that sound fake — but aren’t
The notorious “Florida man” didn’t just live up to his reputation in 2025 — he shattered it.
The Sunshine State became a rolling highlight reel of off-the-rails antics, including a meth-fueled birthday joyride on a stolen train and a crazy police bodycam video capturing the arrest of a costumed suspect as stunned families watched in disbelief at a Chuck E. Cheese.
‘Would y’all put Mickey Mouse in handcuffs?’
So we hereby present the top five wildest incidents of the year involving the infamous “Florida man.”
1. Key West chaos: Man with meth pipe hijacks tourist train on birthday, police say
As Blaze News reported in July, a 57-year-old Florida man allegedly celebrated his birthday with a meth-fueled joyride by hijacking a tourist train in Key West.
Citing the arrest report, WPLG-TV said Jonathan Patrick Winslow stole the Conch Tour Train and even managed to pick up “two random passengers” while driving the trolley.
When confronted by cops, Winslow had a meth pipe in his possession — and he told deputies that it was a “weed pipe,” according to the police report.
Police said Winslow told officers he previously worked at the Conch Tour Train Depot, that he merely “borrowed” the train — and that “today is his birthday.”
Despite it being his birthday, Winslow was arrested and hit with burglary, grand theft auto, and drug charges.
2. Kids watch in shock as man in a mouse costume is arrested at Chuck E. Cheese
What was supposed to be a fun, innocent time for children devolved into a bizarre arrest caught on police bodycam footage that captured officers arresting a Chuck E. Cheese mascot — with kids and parents watching.
Blaze News reported in September that 41-year-old Jermel Jones was accused of allegedly purchasing items with someone else’s credit card.
“We’re gonna detain the mouse,” a police officer is heard telling a fellow cop on bodycam footage as they enter the pizza restaurant in Tallahassee.
An officer about to confront the man in the mouse costume is heard telling a woman, “Chuck E.’s a little bit busy, ma’am.”
A police officer orders the man in the costume, “Chuck E., come with me. Chuck E! Chuck E! Stop resisting! You’re being detained! Stop resisting! Let it go! Do not cause a scene here, sir.”
The Chuck E. Cheese mascot is handcuffed and then escorted out of the children’s restaurant as parents and kids watch in stunned disbelief.
A woman is heard yelling at the officers, “I would like y’all to walk him out the door instead of traumatizing all these children seeing someone like Chuck E. Cheese get arrested.”
She then asks, “Would y’all put Mickey Mouse in handcuffs?”
Jones was arrested and charged with theft of a credit card, criminal use of personal identification information, and fraudulent use of a credit card totaling over $100.
3. Florida man offers cops alcoholic drink during car chase — then gets tased
Only in Florida does a police pursuit include a suspect casually offering officers an alcoholic drink mid-chase.
In April, police were called to a local market after a report of a theft of alcoholic beverages, according to the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office.
Blaze News reported that 39-year-old Richard Christopher Smith of Miami was driving a black minivan in circles near the market, after which a miles-long police chase ensued.
The sheriff’s office said Smith was holding a can of Ketel One vodka spritz out the window of the minivan as he drove by a deputy attempting to pull him over. Smith is heard in the bodycam video telling the officer, “I was just going to give you a drink, that’s it.”
The sheriff’s office said in a statement, “We don’t know if he was expecting us to just say ‘Cheers!’ and let him go, or what.”
Officials added, “After his toast, Smith attempted to ram two patrol vehicles in the midst of getting all four tires flattened by spike strips.”
The minivan slowed down, and the crazy police pursuit ended several miles away in the parking lot of a business at the Sebring Airport. Bodycam video shows Smith exiting the minivan and being greeted by cops with their guns drawn and ordering the suspect to get on the ground.
However, the suspect is seen not obeying orders and walking toward a deputy — and Smith gets tased and falls headfirst on the pavement.
According to the bodycam video, Smith asks officers why he’s being arrested, to which the deputy replies, “A lot of stupid s**t, right now.”
Smith is heard saying to the officers in the bodycam footage, “You guys had fun, though, right?”
Jail records show that Smith was charged with battery on a law enforcement officer, two counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest, driving under the influence, refusal to submit to a DUI test, and petty theft.
4. Here’s how an alligator sent Florida folks flying
Florida motorcyclists were sent flying over their handlebars after slamming into a large alligator on a highway.
Blaze News reported in June that two motorcyclists collided with a six-foot alligator on Interstate 4 in Orange City. The impact of hitting the alligator crossing the highway sent both riders soaring into the air.
Motorcyclist Cameron Gilmore told WESH-TV, “I saw it, like, 10 feet in front of me, and I just, you know, I thought — I knew I was going to hit it. It kind of just happened so quick.”
Gilmore added, “I didn’t even have a second to do anything. Couldn’t put on the brakes or not. And I just had to hold on.”
Gilmore said the collision caused him to “start flying for a long way.”
The two bikers were rushed to the HCA Lake Monroe Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
5. Sex offender gets rejected at job interview — reacts by flinging bottles of urine
A Florida man reportedly turned a denied job interview into a criminal spectacle and threw bottles of urine at a store.
As Blaze News reported in April, 51-year-old John Connaughton asked for a job interview at a door store in St. Petersburg.
Connaughton was rejected, after which he lashed out by hurling multiple bottles filled with urine at the front of the store, according to an arrest affidavit. Urine splattered on building materials and splashed at least one employee, court documents say.
The affidavit accused Connaughton of causing more than $1,000 in damage “to various building materials” by “splattering [them] with urine.”
Image source: Florida Dept. of Law Enforcement
Connaughton reportedly fled, but two men chased after him. Connaughton — a registered sex offender — raised his skateboard over his head as if he were going to hit one of the men with it, according to the arrest affidavit.
The St. Petersburg Police Department arrested Connaughton, and he was charged with felony battery, criminal mischief, and two counts of aggravated assault, according to court records.
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Kids were ‘playing’ at a luxury resort pool. It all ended with Florida woman arrested, charged with aggravated child abuse.
A Florida woman found herself in handcuffs in what was supposed to be a fun family vacation at a luxury resort after she became physical with a 6-year-old boy at a pool, according to police.
The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that deputies responded to a report of a battery involving a child around 4:30 p.m. Friday at the Gaylord Palms Hotel — a four-star resort in Kissimmee.
“Witnesses reported that three children were playing in the pool when the splashing became aggressive,” the statement reads.
Police said 36-year-old Tiffany Lee Griffith of Fort Myers “entered the pool and yelled at a 6-year-old boy after he allegedly dunked her 6-year-old son underwater.”
The sheriff’s office claimed Griffith “placed her hands on the victim’s shoulders and forcibly dunked him underwater for several seconds.”
The alleged victim rushed out of the resort pool “visibly upset and suffering from a nosebleed.” The child reported the alleged incident to his parents, according to police.
Griffith then began yelling at the mother of the alleged victim before leaving the area, police said. Deputies located and arrested Griffith.
RELATED: Florida woman couldn’t take her dog on flight — so she drowned animal in airport bathroom: Police
The Osceola News-Gazette obtained the police report which stated, “After Tiffany was placed under arrest, she made spontaneous statements expressing remorse for what had occurred.”
The police report added, “It should also be noted that alcohol was believed to be a possible factor in this incident, according to hotel security.”
During her arrest, Griffith allegedly “understood and agreed to her [Miranda] rights. … She further stated she could recite them due to being a former law enforcement officer.”
Griffith was taken to the Osceola County Jail, and she was charged with aggravated child abuse.
According to the affidavit obtained by People magazine, Griffith told investigators she entered the pool to protect her child; she claimed he’s nonverbal and has autism.
“I was protecting my son,” Griffith told deputies, according to the affidavit.
Griffith told police she feared her son would be “drowned” by the other child, the affidavit said.
According to the affidavit, investigators said they reviewed security footage at the resort, and it matched a witness’ account of the incident.
During Griffith’s first court appearance Monday, a judge found probable cause and ordered her held without bond, according to WINK-TV. The judge also ordered Griffith to have no contact with the child or the child’s family.
The Gaylord Palms Hotel did not immediately respond to Blaze News‘ request for comment.
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Unhinged female absolutely pummels male employee at Planet Fitness in Florida
An unhinged female was caught on video absolutely pummeling a male employee at a Planet Fitness in Florida last week.
The attack took place Dec. 12 at the gym on SW 8th Avenue, the City of Miami Police Department told WFOR-TV.
‘She took things too far, brutally battered our client, and ultimately left him in the hospital with a broken nose and severe emotional distress.’
The female is seen on cellphone video climbing over the front counter of the Planet Fitness in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood, getting in a male worker’s face, and then socking him so hard in the face that the punch is audible on the clip.
You can view WFOR’s video report — which includes video of the attack — here.
She ends up throwing what appear to be eight more punches; no one intervenes, and the male employee doesn’t fight back.
It apparently all started when the male employee told the female gym member to lower her voice or he’d call the police, according to a police report seen on WPLG-TV’s video breakdown of the incident. She was reportedly making a scene in a locker room.
With that, the female “became irate,” balled her fists, and got in the male employee’s face — but the male pushed her away with both hands twice “in self-defense,” the arrest report says.
That’s when the cellphone clip of the physical attack begins.
Photo by Paul Weaver/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
“She took things too far, brutally battered our client, and ultimately left him in the hospital with a broken nose and severe emotional distress,” Alecsander Kohn, the victim’s attorney, told WFOR.
The female — identified as 35-year-old Kiara Bryant — also was seen on video in the gym’s parking lot trying to leave after the incident, WFOR noted. But she was soon arrested and charged with battery and disorderly conduct, the station said, adding that the victim’s attorney said he’s hoping the district attorney’s office will consider additional charges.
“This would be a case of felony battery,” Kohn added to WFOR. “Hopefully, through some strong advocacy, there will be a modification of the charges to reflect the severity of the injuries he sustained.”
Planet Fitness issued the following statement to the station: “The safety of our employees and members is our top priority, and we have zero tolerance for violence of any kind in our clubs. We are committed to providing a safe environment. The franchise group worked closely with local police and have canceled the member in question.”
The Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department told Blaze News that Bryant was booked into jail on the afternoon of Dec. 12 and bonded out early in the morning of Dec. 13.
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Christmas in the Sub-Tropics
TAMPA – Christmas time again, and I like the season. But it’s a very different business here in peninsula Florida…
9-time convicted felon opens fire on man, woman outside Florida home; he allegedly was after money owed to him: Cops
A nine-time convicted felon opened fire on a man and woman outside a Florida home early Sunday morning, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office said.
Deputies responded around 2:15 a.m. to a report of two people who had been shot in the 3100 block of 11th Street Court East in Bradenton, officials said.
‘The title of this video is exactly what is wrong with our country: “9-time convicted felon.” There should’ve never been a second time.’
When deputies arrived, they found a 32-year-old woman with a gunshot wound to her face and a 41-year-old man with a gunshot wound to his chest, officials said.
Both victims were taken to a hospital, officials said. The woman was later listed in stable condition, and the man’s injury was determined to be minor, officials said, adding that he has since been released.
The sheriff’s office said the shooter fled the scene prior to deputies’ arrival.
An investigation identified the suspect as 26-year-old Exzavion Richardson, officials said, adding that he was located in a vehicle several blocks away and detained during a traffic stop.
Multiple witnesses positively identified Richardson as the man who came to the residence looking for someone he claimed owed him money, officials said.
Witnesses reported that Richardson shot the male victim and then shot the female victim who also was standing outside the residence, officials said.
Richardson is charged with two counts of attempted murder, home invasion robbery, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, officials said. Jail records indicate he’s being held with no bond.
As for his criminal history, court records indicate Richardson has at least two battery convictions and multiple convictions for lewd and lascivious behavior, WFLA-TV reported. Jail records indicate Richardson stands 6’3” and weighs 205 pounds.
Commenters under WFLA’s video report about the shooting were not happy the suspect was back on the streets after so many run-ins with the law:
- “Lock up the judges that released him as accomplices to the crime,” one commenter wrote.
- “The title of this video is exactly what is wrong with our country: ‘9-time convicted felon.’ There should’ve never been a second time,” another commenter noted.
- “Where’s Vlad the Impaler when you need him,” another commenter wondered.
- “Only nine times; that’s practically a clean record,” another commenter stated sarcastically. “I mean, he didn’t kill the woman — just shot her in the face. Give him probation. 10th time is a charm, right[?] He will change smh.”
- “This dude either has a huge growth on his 4head or someone hit a Grand Slam on it,” another commenter observed.
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Gov. DeSantis joins Gov. Abbott in taking a stand against radical Islam
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) announced a new executive order on Monday, taking action against radical Islam.
DeSantis issued an order designating the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations as foreign terrorist organizations.
‘CAIR was designated as an unindicted co-conspirator by the United States Government in the largest terrorism-financing case in American history.’
The order, which took immediate effect, argued that the Muslim Brotherhood is a “transnational network with a long history of engaging in or supporting violence,” noting that the group created Hamas in 1987. It stated that the U.S. designated Hamas as a foreign terrorist organization in 1997 and that the group was responsible for 1,200 murders on October 7, 2023.
DeSantis’ order explained that the Palestine Committee, a group affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, founded CAIR in the U.S. in 1994.
“CAIR was designated as an unindicted co-conspirator by the United States Government in the largest terrorism-financing case in American history, and the court found ‘ample evidence to establish the association[]’ of CAIR with terrorist organizations,” the order read, citing United States v. Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development.
RELATED: Gov. Abbott talks redistricting victory, action against CAIR with Glenn Beck
KHALIL MAZRAAWI/AFP via Getty Images
“Florida agencies are hereby directed to undertake all lawful measures to prevent unlawful activities by these organizations, including denying privileges or resources to anyone providing material support,” DeSantis stated.
DeSantis’ order follows similar executive action from Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) in November.
RELATED: No Sharia law in Texas: Abbott draws a hard line against radical Islam
Greg Abbott. Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images
CAIR issued a statement declaring that it plans to file a lawsuit against DeSantis’ designation, accusing the governor of “serving the Israeli government over serving the people of Florida.”
“Like Greg Abbott in Texas, Ron DeSantis is an Israel First politician who wants to smear and silence Americans, especially American Muslims, critical of U.S. support for Israel’s war crimes,” CAIR National and CAIR-Florida said in a joint statement. “Governor DeSantis knows full well that CAIR-Florida is an American civil rights organization that has spent decades advancing free speech, religious freedom, and justice for all, including for the Palestinian people. That’s precisely why Governor DeSantis is targeting our civil rights group with this unconstitutional and defamatory proclamation.”
CAIR plans to hold a press conference on Tuesday to announce details of its forthcoming lawsuit against the state of Florida.
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