Sheriff Gualtieri reverses course after guidance from Attorney General, but warns that open carry is not a ‘free-for-all’ and remains illegal in certain places.
PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. – Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri has issued an updated statement, announcing his office will now follow guidance from Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier and cease enforcement of the state’s general ban on the open carry of firearms.
This decision comes after the Attorney General issued guidance to law enforcement agencies across the state, acknowledging the First District Court of Appeals’ ruling in McDaniels v. State.
The ruling, which found Florida’s open carry ban unconstitutional, will be respected by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. “F.S. 790.053 (open carry ban) will not be enforced by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office,” Sheriff Gualtieri stated, following the Attorney General’s “well-reasoned guidance.”…