MIAMI – U.S. District Court Judge Kathleen Williams ruled in favor of the city of Miami Beach in a lawsuit filed by Florida Carry, a guns rights organization, and she ordered the case closed on Thursday.
Williams ruled Miami Beach police officers “acted reasonably” and lawfully when they stopped and detained a group of armed men on June 24, 2018, at the South Pointe Park Pier.
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“The men were gathered at the Pier, a crowded recreational area that is located near other busy locations, including potential targets for mass-shooting and terrorist attacks,” Williams wrote.
The men, who officers said were openly carrying firearms and were not actively fishing, later claimed they were participating in a Florida Carry fishing event. The city did not receive advance notice of the event.
The Florida Carry members pointed to Florida law making an exception on the prohibition to openly carry a firearm while a person is “engaged in fishing, camping, or lawful hunting.” They alleged the officers violated their Fourth Amendment rights.
“It is now well-settled law that the reasonable suspicion inquiry focuses on the information available to the officers at the time of the stop,” Williams wrote, also adding that, “although an individual may ultimately be engaged in conduct that is perfectly lawful ... officers may detain the individual to resolve the ambiguity.
Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber released a statement on Friday saying he was glad the city prevailed in the federal district lawsuit brought by the gun rights activists and “fully vindicated” the officers who were protecting the public.
“Perhaps next time these so-called activists will confine their misguided activism to their own neighborhoods,” Gelber said.