A 13-second video that surfaced online Sunday has led to the suspension of a Palm Beach County sheriff’s deputy who forced a man against the wall and whispered in his ear, “I’ll show you what f*cking freedom of speech is.”
The man, Kevin Wygant, 19, had just told the deputy, “Yes, I do have freedom of speech,” which tends to irritate the controlling nature of cops.
“Not to us you don’t,” responded Palm Beach sheriff’s deputy Charles Rhoads.
“Oh, I don’t have the freedom of speech to you?” Wygant asked.
“F*ck no,” responded Rhoads before pushing him against the wall. “I’ll show you what f*cking freedom of speech is.”
The video was posted on Instagram by attorney Benjamin Crump who said Wygant was arrested after witnessing a fight.
But according to WPTV, he was arrested for trespassing.
The restaurant had requested PBSO remove several individuals from the property “due to them causing a disturbance in the restaurant,” the arrest report stated.
The arrest report went onto say a PBSO sergeant asked Wygant to leave the front of the restaurant several times, and when he kept coming back, he was arrested for trespass after warning.
On Monday, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office released this statement about the actions of Deputy Rhoads:
“We have identified the Deputy who responded to the disturbance that occurred yesterday evening at a restaurant in the Village of Wellington. Sheriff Bradshaw does not condone the behavior of our deputy and takes this matter very seriously. He has requested an internal affairs investigation into this incident. Our deputy has been placed on administrative leave until the conclusion of this investigation.”
Wygant was charged with trespassing and another person he was with was charged with trespassing, disorderly intoxication, resisting without violence and obstruction of justice.