Posted on 10/09/2020 5:13:51 PM PDT by simpson96
A Florida man was arrested Monday after allegedly brandishing an AK-47 rifle and firing a warning shot at a U.S. Census working retreating from his property, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
Michael Cooper, 32, is accused of threatening census taker Johnny Swinney. Deputies responded to Cooper’s home on Clove Avenue in Bunnell, Fla., around 6:15 p.m. after the federal employee reported Cooper had shot at him, WKMG reported.
According to the incident report, neighbors said Swinney was wearing a U.S. Census Bureau badge which was clearly identifiable on the lanyard around his neck when he approached Cooper sitting on the porch of his home. The census taker also identified himself as a federal worker, and his marked vehicle was marked out front indicating he had come for the nationwide count of every U.S. resident.
Cooper reportedly yelled at Swinney to leave, went into his home, and returned with the weapon. He loaded the chamber and Swinney returned to his vehicle, where his wife was.
His wife, Nicole, told deputies that she saw Cooper pointing his weapon at her husband’s back as he walked away from the house. Once in the vehicle, they heard a shot fired in an unknown direction.
Cooper told deputies that Swinney was trespassing and that he didn't see an identification badge. He said he shot a round into the ground because he didn't want to leave it in the chamber.
Cooper was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill and remained held at the Flagler County Jail on Tuesday. The Associated Press reported that the Census Bureau said it was checking on how many threats have been made against census takers during the 2020 count after Monday’s incident.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
He’s watched Second Hand Lions too many times.
“My new job? Census taker in the Deeetroit ghetto!”
signed, soon to be dead white guy.
Man that guy's in the new a lot.
My neighbor posted a note on his front door after receiving 2nd and third visits. ‘I FILLED IT OUT ONLINE’
The Census supervisors don't care if you leave a note like that.
I call it the "stealth re-interview".
Pretty stupid
This “Official” federal census worker was driving around collecting confidential information with his wife in the vehicle?
Bunnell. Understandable. You just don’t walk onto a man’s property.
His defense should be: I thought it was one of those evil Trump GOTV volunteers disguised as a census worker.
Charges dropped!!!
Rural Florida, like Bunnell, you need to call the property owner. Shoot first, bury the body, then ask question.
Rural Florida, like Bunnell, you need to call the property owner. Shoot first, bury the body, then ask question.
Well, at least he didn’t eat the census-taker’s liver with some fava beans and a nice Amarone.
/accurate to book, not movie. :P
SSS, SHOOT, SHOVEL and SHUTUP!
Census worker here. At this point the follow ups have already been attempted numerous times and have plenty of notes saying that and do not attempt again. Secondly all the info goes into a secure Iphone and I highly doubt his wife is checking it out. We are permitted to have someone in car with us. For example an elderly sr. woman
can have her husband drive her around to her cases. My husband has never checked mine nor cared period. A lot of properties in Fl. have huge do not trespass signs. I always noted that and big dogs in my notes for the next person who got the address. If I saw such notes I would not attempt that house again.
I tried to fill out the census online, however, once they got out of bounds on their questions I gave up. When they get to my house only ask for they information that you absolutely need no more!
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