MELBOURNE BEACH, Fla. — You may have seen a viral post circulating on the internet showing three men carrying AR-type rifles in Melbourne Beach.
- Men carrying rifles: We were promoting Second Amendment rights
- They want to normalize open-carry law for fishing, hunting, camping
- Melbourne Police said they talked to the men as safety precaution
Although it caught the eye of some concerned residents, the men say they did it for a purpose.
“I saw five or six police cars and looked over and saw three men with AR-15 assault-type rifles,” passerby Keith Brodsky said.
Melbourne Beach Police Sgt. Steven Kino was one of the responding officers and said he spotted the fishing rods immediately and knew they were on their way to the beach to go fishing. But just in case, he said he chatted with the men.
“They confirmed they were going fishing, and they were supporting their Second Amendment right to open carry in Florida, which is perfectly legal. As long as you're going to and from fishing, camping or hunting, you're allowed to do the open carry,” Kino said.
Florida Carry member Michael Taylor, one of the men in the photo, told Spectrum News that he and two friends were on their way to go fishing. He said he understands why people reacted the way they did, but he said they did it in the name of educating people about the Second Amendment.
“You got three armed fishermen. You know it’s not a normal situation, but at the same time, that’s why we do what we do, to educate the public, and if need be, law enforcement about the law,” Taylor explained.
Kino said the interaction with the fishermen was brief, and they openly explained their intentions to responding officers. He said he's glad things turned out peacefully.
“(I) went out there and spoke with them and deescalated the situation, and they wanted to let us know what their agenda was, which is to normalize the open-carry law for fishing, hunting, and camping,” Kino said.
Although Florida is not a traditional open-carry state, you can lawfully open-carry while engaged or going directly to and from lawful target shooting, hunting, fishing, and camping expeditions.