During a press conference on Tuesday, Orange County Sheriff John Mina promised reporters that charges were forthcoming for a group of neo-Nazis who assaulted a motorist during a rally over the weekend.
Mina said the rally put police in a difficult situation, having to weigh rights to assembly and speech against the safety of the community. However, the sheriff added that three suspects who were caught on video fighting with a passerby would be charged.
“We went out there but obviously we have to balance everyone’s right to freedom of speech, which can be very difficult for us especially when it’s a situation of hate speech,” Mina said. "Our officers are upset with that but, as far as the incident that happened with the vehicle, there are charges forthcoming to three individuals.”
My son just witnessed nazis in Orlando. He said there were dozens hanging on the corner. The guy getting assaulted got out of his car and pushed one of them. @fox35orlando pic.twitter.com/HUvNgI3zwl
— DP (@DawneyNP) January 29, 2022
WKMG reports that National Socialist Movement leader and rally organizer Bert Colucci was recently arrested in Arizona for threatening a group of black men with a gun last April. Colucci admitted to showing his gun but denied witnesses' claims that he pointed it at anyone.
The actions of OCSO are quite a bit more proactive than the response that came from state leaders in Tallahassee. The governor's press secretary wondered whether the Nazis were actually paid actors, floating a conspiracy theory that Democrats had assembled fake hate groups to smear Republicans.
The governor himself danced around a straightforward condemnation of the rally, calling the Nazis "jackasses" but quickly turning his attention to condemning national Democratic politicians including Rep. Ilhan Omar.
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