Clay County man accused of yelling racial slurs says he’s a political target, has ‘several Black friends’

3 years ago 221

GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. – A Green Cove Springs antheral is warring backmost against the constabulary section and the city.

Mark Morgan told News4Jax the Green Cove Springs Police Department portrayed him arsenic racist aft a caller arrest. Morgan said he’s being discriminated against due to the fact that of his politics, but locals said helium is simply a menace to section fishermen.

According to police, Morgan is accused of getting intoxicated successful his vessel and throwing radical slurs astir astatine the aggregate radical who were sportfishing disconnected the pier astatine Spring Park.

GCSPD posted astir his apprehension connected Facebook this weekend: “For each of our citizens and visitors who whitethorn person had to endure proceeding Mr. Mark Morgan screaming obscenities and radical slurs portion successful his vessel disconnected of the City pier, remainder guarantee arsenic helium was arrested.”

According to Morgan, helium was having a speech with different fisherman and started talking astir however helium supports Donald Trump successful 2024. He past started expressing beardown views connected migration and said that upset different fishermen who reported him to police. Morgan denied saying thing racist.

“I americium the past idiosyncratic that’s a racist. I person respective Black friends,” Morgan said.

Morgan said he’s present been unfairly banned from the dock and metropolis parks.

Brian Coleman disagrees.

Coleman said he’s the fisherman who was successful that archetypal conversation. He said Morgan was becoming a nuisance and saying antagonistic things peculiarly targeted toward Hispanic fishermen and families.

Earlier this twelvemonth helium was accused of boating nether the power aft helium allegedly tried to aquatics distant from constabulary to debar a humor intoxicant test, Clay Today reported.

“When he’s drinking helium gets benignant of belligerent and he’ll spell from what I telephone zero to 100. And he’s been known to usage radical slurs and telephone folks names,” Coleman said.

Last month, the Green Cove Springs Police Department received reports that Morgan, who is white, was riding astir successful a tiny vessel adjacent the pier and yelling radical slurs astatine Black citizens.

According to an apprehension report, the 53-year-old was yelling “f****** n******” astatine Black citizens from his vessel implicit a three-day span successful August portion families and tiny children were around.

Morgan caused specified outrage with radical who heard astir it that immoderate adjacent talked astir bringing guns to the pier located astatine Spring Park to sprout astatine his boat, constabulary said.

After a warrant was issued for Morgan’s apprehension earlier this month, helium was arrested connected Saturday morning. He present faces 2 misdemeanor charges — 1 for trespassing connected the pier aft helium was issued a informing and 1 for breach of peace/disorderly conduct.

For now, Morgan, who lives connected a vessel docked conscionable disconnected the pier, said he’s inactive moving his mode done the tribunal strategy and plans to combat some metropolis hallway and the constabulary implicit the accusation that he’s a racist that locals request to beryllium protected from.

A ineligible expert told News4Jax his lawsuit volition hinge connected whether oregon not constabulary tin beryllium helium was utilizing what’s called “Fighting Words” oregon connection that could beryllium utilized to incite harm against someone. Morgan volition apt effort to reason helium was lone making governmental statements and has protections nether the First Amendment.

Green Cove Springs Police Department Commander Shawn Hines issued a connection to News4Jax:

”The City of Green Cove Springs tin corroborate that Mr. Morgan was trespassed from the City Pier aft helium was arrested connected the pier for creating a disturbance and boating nether the power portion docked astatine the pier. Due to his transgression enactment astatine that determination helium was trespassed for a 1 twelvemonth play of clip successful accordance with our policy. Mr. Morgan was subsequently trespassed from Spring Park and the kayak dock, which is City owned, aft 4 days of accordant radical heckling of citizens connected the pier, including minorities, children and families. Due to Mr. Morgan utilizing the kayak dock and Spring Park arsenic the ingress/egress constituent to his moored vas disconnected shore, the City trespassed him from these locations owed to his ongoing transgression enactment originating from City Property. The Green Cove Springs City Attorney has reviewed our trespass process/procedure and finds that the City is successful compliance with applicable instrumentality and successful enactment with what different jurisdictions successful the State of Florida utilize for trespass procedures connected nationalist property.”

Morgan aboriginal issued a effect to the department’s statement:

“There indispensable beryllium an appeals process and determination is nary specified process. This metropolis is violating law rights 1st and 14th. No owed process. No say. No legal definitions to however I’m a information to nine to warrant nationalist shaming and parkland bannings.”

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