The order, which initially cited Florida Statute 870.044, went to effect Thursday, September 26 for a few hours. It was signed by Police Chief Donald Hagan ahead of Hurricane Helene’s arrival. The city issued a statement and spoke with CBS12 News about the error.
“This is something that was mistakenly enacted. Once we learned that the emergency order was not the order that we intended to declare, we immediately terminated it,” Det. Jarret Romanello, Public Information Officer for the Okeechobee City Police Department, told CBS12 News on Monday.
Calls and emails started pouring in, despite the termination of the order.
“He’s not here today because he was subject to personal attacks all day from all over this country,” Romanello said, referring to Chief Hagan. “Most of the noise is coming from people that live outside the city of Okeechobee.”
City gun stores, including Wild Side Pawn and Gun in Okeechobee, told CBS12 News they were not impacted by the order.
“At no time did any Okeechobee City Police Department officers take any enforcement action pursuant to the declaration. No guns were seized. No businesses were approached or told to take down their firearms. We very much support our Second Amendment,” Romanello said.”The Okeechobee City Police Department values the civil liberties of all our citizens, and we value the rights of our citizens, including the right to bear arms.
City officials are currently reviewing the incident to understand how the mistake occurred.
“City officials are currently reviewing that matter, and we look forward to providing more answers as soon as that review is complete,” Romanello added.
— Luli Ortiz in ‘Mistakenly Enacted’: Okeechobee PD Responds After Issuing Emergency Order on Guns
The Chief of Police is incompetent, simple as that.
He’s more than incompetent, he’s a danger to the constitution and law abiding citizens. He should be fired immediately.
Pretty sure the City Attorney is at fault too. Lawyers are much more inclined to be against self-defense than LE.
“Mistaken”? Horse hockey.
This is just attempted damage control after those involved realized they could be *personally* liable for their overreach under the FLA preemption law, and that the FPC is not shy about filing test cases.
FPC’s vigilence, connections, and reputation for being able to finish a fight are what squashed this quickly. Good job!
“…after those involved realized they could be *personally* liable for their overreach under the FLA preemption law, and that the FPC is not shy about filing test cases.”
That’s one of the few bright spots in Florida’s recent bullshit gun laws, eliminating carry permits was another one…
I believe you are right.
Sorry, but there’s no excuse for this. This has bad management written all over it. The question for the locals should be: “If they made this kind of “mistake” on such a hot topic, what else are they screwing up?
No tolerance for this kind of action.
Look for who signed the damned order and fire that person. It’s not that hard.
I once told my wife that date night was going to include two other good looking women that I recently met downtown. When she expressed her dismay, I said that isn’t the thing I meant to say. I was confused by the hate for my totally unintentional comment.
(chuckle)
Nazis…
A mistake? Seriously?
A specifically worded order for a specific thing or purpose, and the sheriff signed on to it also…is not a mistake.
Probably issued by some anti-gun person thinking it would escape notice.
correction for : “and the sheriff signed on to it”
more correctly should have said…
…and the police chief signed it also…
I suspect the Chief is taking the day off to update his resume’ and mail it out to some new prospective employers.
He’s been on the phone with a couple of detoxed “guys” over at Open Society…
This was an example of testing the water before jumping in the pool. They stuck their toe in and waited for the results to hit their brain. Once they realized the pool. was WAY TO HOT to jump in. They claimed ‘psych’, it was all just a mistake to jump in. In our day and time it has become far to easy to apologize when rights have been violated. Even for just a day. I was always taught if you think you may have to apologize for something you say or do. Just don’t say or do it.
Mistake. Riiiiight. Did the PD spokescritter make air quotes when she said “mistake?” Maybe she winked.
“ `He’s not here today because he was subject to personal attacks all day from all over this country,’ Romanello said, referring to Chief Hagan. ‘Most of the noise is coming from people that live outside the city of Okeechobee.’ ”
Awwww… poor wittle thing… him all upset ’cause people pointed out that he was an idiot for placing his signature on the order and publishing the order so now he’s a ‘victim’ ’cause its a ‘mistake’ and ‘personal attacks’.
ITS HIS SIGNATURE ON THE ORDER – HOW COULD HE NOT KNOW WHAT IT SAID!
did someone else come up with the order then forge his signature? Does he not have control of his own department enough so that such an order, especially one with his signature block on it, would not pass through him first before being published?
I suppose the Chief cannot read and if he is signing things without reading them, then I wish I could find his checkbook.
Short moral of the story: Mistake my ass!
“I read it AFTER I signed it. Everybody does that, right?”
“I read it AFTER I signed it. Everybody does that, right?”
Reminds me of : “You have to pass it, to find out what’s in it…”
Beat me to it. LoL
“The city issued a statement and spoke with CBS12 News about the ‘error.'”
“This is something that was mistakenly enacted.”
Passive voice is the devil. If there was an “error”, someone committed it. If there was a “mistake”, someone made it.
The proper response is to own it and apologize for it.
Power corrupts… absolute power corrupts ABSOLUTELY