Poor Chris Evans. He’s having a rough week.
Police have arrested a vagrant man in Fort Myers, Florida dubbed “Captain America” after he stole a pride flag from outside a restaurant. When the owner of the business spotted the robbery in progress, he tried to intervene. Captain America then attacked him with the flag pole.
Video of the incident shows the man in question–whom police have identified as 38-year-old Jason Jacque–climbing on a table outside the restaurant The Standard. Jacque first hangs from the flagpole, then unscrews it from its base and detaches it, preparing to run off.
Related: Is a gay Captain America coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
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According to Chris Blauvelt, owner of The Standard, this isn’t the first time Captain America has stolen his flag.
“This is the second time I caught him in the act,” Blauvelt told NBC-2. Upon witnessing the robbery in progress, Blauvelt rushed to confront Jacque. Then things turned violent.
“He swung the metal rod at me. I stepped back and I followed him five steps behind all the way to the marina before the police showed up,” Blauvelt said.
Police later apprehended Jacque and charged him with aggravated assault, property damage and criminal mischief.
Blauvelt claims that Jacque has stolen the pride flag at least four times from The Standard. Police say Jacque has a criminal history involving drugs, human trafficking and alcohol abuse, and is currently homeless. He earned the name Captain America because he is known to wear an American Flag as a cape while treading the streets of Fort Myers.
moretruth
Trump has named him ambassador to Haiti.
cuteguy
Wouldn’t this be a hate crime?
BaltoSteve
It’s Florida, I am not sure they believe in such things down there. Or at least don’t believe in codifying them as illegal.
jayceecook
Florida has a hate crimes law that covers some folks. The problem is they have what’s called “mixed-motive” claims that would get most criminals out of a state hate crime charge.
Say for example a gay guy and a straight guy get into a fender bender. They get out, start to argue over who’s at fault. The straight guy figures out the other dude is gay and during the argument calls him some gay slurs. The gay dude stands his ground. The straight guy throws a punch and a physical fight ensues. The straight guy is still using the slurs during it. Eventually it ends for whatever reason and the cops come and miraculously don’t kill either one.
They eventually arrest the straight dude because he started the altercation. Witnesses back this up. They mention the gay slurs and that they think he escalated the argument because the other dude was gay. The gay guy thinks had he not been gay the straight guy wouldn’t have turned the argument physical. All parties involved believe this straight guy is homophobic and attacked the other guy because he was gay.
Unfortunately because of FL’s mixed movtive claims they wouldn’t be able to prosecute the straight guy for a hate crime because the original motive for the argument turned fight was the fender bender.
So while CA stealing the flag could be considered a hate crime if it can be proved that he did it out of malice towards the LGBTQ community if there is another motive involved, anything really, they would have a hard time prosecuting him for it.
BaltoSteve
@jayceecook. Thanks for the clarification. I know there are a number of “Southern” States that don’t believe hate crimes laws. Seems like Florida likes the idea of having it on the books.. but not really allowing it to be enforceable.