Thursday afternoon, the State Attorney’s Office of the Eighth Judicial Circuit formally filed misdemeanor charges of resisting an officer without violence and interfering with a first responder on duty against Rahim Henderson, 49.
Interfering with a first responder on duty, otherwise known as Florida Statute 843.31, is a law that went into affect at the beginning of this year which prevents individuals from standing within 25 feet of a law enforcement officer if they are given a warning. The law makes it a misdemeanor to ignore the warning if one intends to “(1) Impede or interfere with the first responder’s ability to perform such duty; (2) Threaten the first responder with physical harm; or (3) Harass the first responder.”
According to the law, causing a first responder “substantial emotional distress” that serves “no legitimate purpose” qualifies as harassment.
Assistant State Attorney Sean Zeitlin filed information stating, “Rahim Arthur Henderson, in Alachua County, Florida, on or about November 5, 2025, did, after receiving a verbal warning not to approach from a person he knew or reasonably should have known is a first responder, who was engaged in the lawful performance of a legal duty, to wit: conducting an investigation, knowingly and willfully violated such warning and approached or remained within 25 feet of Officer Justin Snitselaar with the intent to impede or interfere with [their] ability to perform such duty.”…