I’m pretty sure he’s gonna have a video out soon!
Martin County Deputies Detain ‘The Armed Fisherman’ During Police Encounter
Armed Fisherman Detained by Martin County Deputies After Firearms Were Returned Earlier the Same Day
A tense encounter between The Armed Fisherman and deputies with the Martin County Sheriff's Office is raising new questions about injunction enforcement, firearm rights, and whether officers unlawfully detained and arrested the activist despite court changes restoring his ability to possess firearms.
According to video commentary and footage recorded during the incident, the encounter began while the activist was openly carrying a firearm in Martin County. Deputies approached him almost immediately, referencing an active injunction and firearm restrictions tied to a previous case.
The situation stems from a prior stalking case in Clearwater involving videos exposing alleged government corruption. The activist was later found not guilty at trial. However, after the acquittal, the complainant reportedly sought an injunction that initially included firearm restrictions.
During the roadside encounter, the activist repeatedly told deputies that the firearm provisions had already been overturned and that his guns had been returned to him earlier that same day by the Port St. Lucie Police Department.
“I literally just got them back,” he told deputies while requesting to call his attorney.
Body camera-style footage from a 360-degree camera captured deputies handcuffing and detaining him while they attempted to verify the status of the injunction. The activist maintained throughout the stop that the firearm prohibition had already been removed by a judge.
The commentary accompanying the video argues that once deputies handcuffed and moved him from the scene, the detention became an arrest without proper verification from the court system.
At one point, deputies appeared to contact legal advisors or supervisors while reviewing the injunction terms. The activist’s attorney was also contacted during the stop.
Florida law generally permits open carry only under limited exceptions, but the dispute in this case centered on whether the injunction still prohibited firearm possession. The activist insisted deputies were relying on outdated information even after the firearms had already been released back to him by another agency.
According to the narration, deputies ultimately released him after transporting him a short distance down the road rather than taking him to jail.
The incident is already drawing heavy attention online from Second Amendment advocates and civil rights activists, many questioning how firearm restrictions are communicated between agencies and whether officers had probable cause to continue detaining him after learning the weapons had been returned.
No criminal charges related to the incident were immediately confirmed at the time of the video.