ST. CLOUD, FLORIDA — Jonathan Edward Carpenter was at home when the doorbell rang. It was the mailman, who needed him to sign for a certified letter. Not expecting anything of that nature, Carpenter signed and immediately opened the urgent envelope.
What he found was a notice from The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, letting him know that his Florida Concealed Carry Permit has been revoked.
The reason; “…an injunction was entered restraining you from committing acts of domestic violence or acts of repeat violence.”
Carpenter was confused, as he has never had any trouble with the law. He was a law-abiding citizen with a clear record.
He immediately called to clear things up, and was told that he need to get a form from the Clerk of the Courts saying that he didn’t have any actions against him. When he arrived, he quickly learned that a person with the same name was the responsible party, and not himself. He then needed to go to the Sheriff’s office to further investigate and get things cleared up.
The Sheriff’s office supplied Carpenter with a copy of the injunction. In the statement, the plaintiff stated that she rented a room out to a “Jonathan Edward Carpenter” and his girlfriend. She alleged that this Carpenter was a drug dealer who broke her furniture and sold her belongings without her permission. He had a gun, and she feared for her life. She was not sure if the firearm was legal or not.
via AmmoLand.com
Carpenter had no idea who the woman was, has never been to her address, and looked nothing like the man they were actually trying to serve the papers to. In fact…
The man in question is 5’8. Carpenter is 5’11. The alleged drug dealer is 110lbs. Carpenter is over 200. The man has black hair. Carpenter is completely bald. Last but not least, the man in question is covered in tattoos, and Carpenter only has a few.
He figured he was in the clear. This is surely enough to figure out that he wasn’t the one they were after.
Then, he got the biggest shock yet. The Sheriff’s office told him that he needed to hand over his firearms. He wouldn’t be able to get them back until he went to court, so that the woman could say that he’s not the correct Jonathan Edward Carpenter. All at his expense, of course.
According to Ammoland, Carpenter has to wait for his court date until August 27th, where he’ll have the chance to show the court that it’s all been a case of mistaken identity. Who knows if he’ll get his firearms back that day. It’s unlikely, seeing how slow the legal system can be on many occasions.
Until then, he’s defenseless and has had his rights stripped over an obvious mistake that should be rectified in minutes.
If you don’t think that this can happen to you, think Red Flag Laws. This is exactly what would happen if anyone wants to say that you’re a danger to yourself or others.
Let the abuse begin, and the rights be stripped.
