Yesterday, Dec. 10, 2016, arrests were made at Sabal Trail river crossing sites of the Santa Fe River and at a construction yard at 72nd Trace in Live Oak. Josh Peebles, a Navy veteran from Jacksonville was arrested for jaywalking. This carried a misdemeanor charge and he was soon released.
The Santa Fe crossing site was not a protest, but simply an educational photographic drive-by. No laws were broken but one car driver, K C Cavanaugh was arrested, allegedly for obstructing an officer of the law, a Gilchrist County patrolman.
According to videos taken by witnesses, Ms. Cavanaugh was stopped and asked to display her driver’s license. When she asked what she had done, the officer ordered her out of the car and promptly arrested her. Upon leaving, the officer was heard to say that Ms. Cavanaugh refused to obey his orders and obstructed him from his duties. Witnesses refuted this and said it was untrue.
The videos do not show any resistance or likely cause for arrest, which prompts the question as to why this incident happened. From what is known at this point, this incident crosses the line of abuse of power, and surely does not convey the image of the Gilchrist County police that they might choose to have. To the contrary, it promotes a picture of inappropriate and inexcusable bullying with no apparent reason, a situation Gilchrist County might want to take steps to contain.
Luckily, this incident was well documented, not only by friends of the arrest victim, but also by five members of the press. We have not yet seen their reporting but we look forward to it. The people of Florida should be aware of what is happening in Gilchrist County regarding Sabal Trail pipeline.
We are very grateful to the many people who are risking arrest in order to protest the destruction caused by Sabal Trail.
Comments by OSFR historian Jim Tatum.
-A river is like a life: once taken, it cannot be brought back-
This is by far the craziest thing. Really we all just love our rivers and don’t want them distroyed greedy corporations who could care less about our environment.
Why does this article seem to be a lot of disinformation? The arrests happened in Swannee County, not Gilchrist. The name of the pipeline is Sabal Trail, yet they called this action one at a river crossing called Sabal Trail. What is the agenda of the people who published this article? It is obvious they are trying to divert your attention away from The Sabal Trail Pipe Line and focus on one river crossing under the Santa Fe River. I don’t know if I would trust these people. If they don’t want to come together then stop working with them.
What’s going on, it seem like all the vets who took a stand are getting rounded up.. It smells like another US cover up. Corporate written all over these arrest..
Nathan Mackenzie Brown, Collin Vickers
Bunch of Rick Scott bitches!! WRONG!
I would appreciate this type of class. And Right of Way laws for parking and demonstrating on dirt roads.
A biased out-of-control cop like that one is not going to follow any rules except those he chooses at the moment. It’s good to know the rules, but we must not expect that mentality of cop to pay them any attention. Good to keep that in mind.
KrisAnne Hall will come to any group and teach the Constitution for free: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0MXXz5YRww&feature=youtu.be