A Florida sheriff warned immigration enforcement protesters that law enforcement would "kill you, graveyard dead" if they become violent toward deputies.
"If you hit one of us, you're going to the hospital and jail, and most likely get bitten by one of our big, beautiful dogs that we have here," Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey said at a June 12 news conference.
"If you throw a brick, a fire bomb or point a gun at one of our deputies, we will be notifying your family where to collect your remains, because we will kill you, graveyard dead. We're not going to play."
The comments came after a week of protests in Los Angeles against Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, as Florida officials warned would-be protesters in advance of expected rallies around the nation June 14 that Florida is not California. The state leaders said any rioting would be "nipped in the bud right away."
The remarks, including the threat of death against violent protesters, drew criticism from the ACLU of Florida, which warned the states' sheriffs that they would have to pay millions of dollars in damages if they use excessive force against protesters.
