Florida
Is it legal to video police and other first responders in Florida? It may get tough in 2025
‘The horror and cruelty’: Lorraine Stone talks George Floyd video
Lorraine Stone talks “the horror and cruelty” of the video of the death of George Floyd and what comes next.
Thomas P. Costello, Asbury Park Press
As of 2025, it may become harder to take videos of law enforcement in Florida, even if they’re breaking the law themselves.
A new law going into effect on Jan. 1 requires people to move back 25 feet if first responders, including law enforcement, verbally warn them to, while the responder is performing a legal duty.
Gov. Ron DeSantis said this was in support of law enforcement officers and accused news media outlets of warping narratives about police for attention and “clicks.”
Critics say it’s to prevent people from taking videos of law enforcement officers breaking the law or brutalizing people.
Here’s what to know.
What does SB 184, Impeding, Threatening, or Harassing First Responders, do?
SB 184 makes it illegal, after you have been verbally warned, to approach a first responder or remain within 25 feet while the responder is performing a legal duty with the intent to:
- Block or interfere with their ability to perform the duty
- Threaten the first responders with physical harm
- Harass the first responder
Violations will be a second-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to 60 days in jail.
What does SB 184 define as ‘harassment’?
“Harassment” is defined as an action directed at a first responder that “intentionally causes substantial emotional distress in that first responder and serves no legitimate purpose.”
“Emotional distress,” “legitimate purpose” and which parties may decide if they apply were left undefined.
Rep. Angela Nixon, D-Jacksonville, introduced an amendment to clarify that “harass” did not include “asking a first responder questions out of concern, for the health, safety and well-being, of the person that is being responded to” and to stress that a person may still impede a first responder if they are breaking the law or using “unnecessary harm or excessive force.” The amendment failed.
What does SB 184 define as ‘first responders’?
First responders are defined here as law enforcement officers, correctional probation officers, firefighters and emergency medical care providers.
Are you allowed to record or video police officers in Florida?
Yes. SB 184 does not prevent taking video or pictures of law enforcement in the course of their duties, but it does require you, if asked, to move 25 feet away, which can make shooting images or video much more difficult.
An amendment from Rep. LaVon Bracy Davis, D-Ocoee, which would have defined “the peaceful audio or video recording, photographing, or eyewitness observing of a first responder” as a legitimate purpose, failed to pass.
So did Nixon’s other proposed amendment to change the name of the bill to “The I Don’t Want the World to See the Police Kill an Unarmed Innocent Man Like George Floyd Again, So I Want To Protect Bad Cops and Violate Free Speech Act.”
How did police videos cause the Black Lives Matter protest movement to go worldwide?
Davis’ amendment referred to the video shot of George Floyd, a Black man killed by a police officer in 2020.
The video, and many others shot by bystanders and witnesses, were widely shared online and contributed to the massive widespread Black Lives Matter protests that year by making more Americans aware of incidents of police brutality that otherwise may have gone unnoticed.
Darnella Frazier, the then-17-year-old girl who videoed Floyd’s murder, was awarded a Pulitzer Prize Special Citation.
Why was SB 184 necessary?
DeSantis said when he signed the bill that the legislation “recognizes we’ve got some strange currents going on in our society right now that really seek to delegitimize law enforcement,” accusing news media outlets of warping narratives about police for attention and “clicks” and citing media coverage of the controversial police killing of Dexter Reed in Chicago.
Officers fired 96 shots in 41 seconds at Reed during a traffic stop, reportedly over Reed not wearing a seatbelt. A citizen review board questioned both the validity of the stop and the order of events — they say it’s unclear who shot first — and questioned the appropriateness of deadly force in the response. Bodycam footage showed one officer emptying his pistol multiple times at Reed, even after Reed was motionless on the ground.
“You shouldn’t be in a situation where you’re at a traffic stop, you’re responding to a call of someone in distress, and then you have people come trying to interdict or trying to harass you from performing your duty,” DeSantis said. “We view that as a problem, and now you’re going to be held accountable.”
Critics questioned the bill, saying it would be open to First Amendment challenges and prevent recordings of police misconduct and brutality.
The NCAA Baseball Tournament got underway this past weekend with regional play, including the Florida Gators playing in the Conway Regional at Coastal Carolina University.
Tempers were flaring at Coastal Carolina on Sunday after Florida’s game against East Carolina was delayed in order to get the field ready. Gators coach Kevin O’Sullivan was caught on camera yelling profanities at tournament officials and members of Coastal Carolina’s staff.
Needless to say, Coastal Carolina coach Kevin Schnall did not appreciate the outburst by O’Sullivan.
“I believe in standing up for what’s right, and what transpired this morning, on our field, another coach disrespected our Associate AD, who works as hard as anybody in our entire program. He disrespected our field crew, who are the salt of the Earth. These guys would do anything for our program,” Schnall said.
“It’s not OK. And this needs to be brought up. Absolutely disrespectful. As a coach it’s our job to mentor young kids. And the way he treated the two site reps, the way he treated our Associate AD, the way he treated our field crew, was absolutely unacceptable.”
As you can see, Kevin Schnall was not happy with what transpired, and he didn’t stop there.
“This is a national champion coach who thinks he can come in here and try to bully people around. Disappointed,” Schnall said. “Disappointed in somebody that a lot of coaches look up to.
“For him to act that way, really disappointed. He disrespected a Hall of Fame coach who’s the site rep here.”
The comments from Schnall came after his Coastal Carolina team beat ECU in the regional final to advance to the super regionals this coming weekend.
The Chanticleers will face Auburn in a best-of-three series this weekend, with the winner advancing to the College World Series.
As for Kevin O’Sullivan, he did issue an apology for his actions on Monday.
“Prior to yesterday’s NCAA Tournament game against East Carolina, I let my emotions get the best of me and channeled that energy in a way I should not have. I want to sincerely apologize for my actions and behavior to the entire NCAA Regional field of Coastal Carolina, East Carolina and Fairfield — the NCAA, including site representatives Rick French and Mark Scalf — as well as all of Gator Nation,” O’Sullivan said.
“I did not represent the University of Florida to the appropriate standard yesterday and take full responsibility for that, and promise to learn from this experience and be better moving forward.
“I appreciate all of the tireless efforts on behalf of Coastal Carolina, their tournament director Bryan Stiles, and the NCAA over the course of NCAA Regionals, and am sorry for allowing this instance to get in the way of an otherwise great weekend of postseason baseball.”
Florida Athletics Director Scott Stricklin also issued a statement about the incident.
“This afternoon I met with Kevin O’Sullivan and told him that his actions prior to yesterday’s NCAA Tournament game fell well short of expectations of how Gators treat people,” Stricklin said. “One of our department’s core values is respect, and coach O’Sullivan’s unacceptable actions failed to demonstrate that.
“On behalf of Florida Athletics, I want to personally apologize to everyone impacted — including NCAA representatives, Coastal Carolina and their staff, East Carolina and their team — as well as to Gator Nation.”
Private-equity backed accounting firm Ascend has added Florida Regional Leader firm Saltmarsh, Cleaveland & Gund and California-based Glenn Burdette to its platform, effective June 1.
Saltmarsh, Cleaveland & Gund, based in Pensacola and Tampa, Florida, and Glenn Burdette, in San Luis Obispo, California, are the latest firms to join Arlington, Virginia-based Ascend, which is backed by private equity firm Alpine Investors and ranked No. 29 on Accounting Today‘s
Glenn Burdette formerly operated under an employee stock ownership plan and adds a central California presence to Ascend along with a team of 75 and seven partners, while Saltmarsh marks Ascend’s first Florida footprint and adds a team of 16 partners and 178 total team members to the firm.
Ascend reported $314.74 million in revenue and 1,464 employees in 2024.
Terms of both deals were not disclosed.
“These are two monumental partnerships for Ascend,” said Ascend president Nishaad in a statement. “Glenn Burdette was founded 60 years ago, and in 2000 became the first CPA firm in California to form an ESOP. That decision marked the firm’s commitment to a set of core values that they still wear on their sleeve today – a desire to provide opportunity for their people, a focus on shared ownership as an enabler of success, and a fierce commitment to hold the pen on their own story.”
Glenn Burdette provides tax, audit, bookkeeping, business consulting and financial management services, primarily to middle-market and small owner-managed businesses.
“Partnering with Ascend is the right move at the right time for Glenn Burdette,” said the firm’s CEO David Merlo. “Their forward-thinking approach and shared values make them a natural fit for our next chapter. We chose Ascend because of their strong commitment to reimagining what’s possible — for both our clients and our people.”
Saltmarsh, Cleaveland and Gund is a full-service accounting and advisory firm offering expertise and specialized consulting for many industries and high-net-worth individuals.
“Saltmarsh has an equally proud history, with an 80-year legacy in Florida’s panhandle and central cities,” said Ruparel in a statement. “The firm is synonymous with quality, is a longstanding best-place-to-work, and has a dynamic group of partners that are seen as trusted advisors across disciplines. Less than a year ago, Lee Bell and the Saltmarsh leadership team took the time they needed to articulate a strategic vision that would carry the firm into the next decade and enumerate a plan for achieving that vision. We feel privileged that they decided Ascend is best positioned to help them fulfill those ideals.”
“The success of our business is entirely about putting our people first so they can do what they love, which is helping our clients achieve success,” said Saltmarsh Advisors CEO Lee Bell in a statement. “Ascend’s intense focus on people and their unique concentration on supporting our more than 80-year legacy as Saltmarsh is why we made the decision to partner with them.”
Both Glenn Burdette and Saltmarsh are independent members of the BDO Alliance.
Since Ascend was launched in early 2023, it has made a significant number of investments, including including
Long after being predicted to choose Florida and almost immediately after leaving his official visit, Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy three-star interior offensive lineman G’Nivre Carr has announced his commitment to the Gators.
Carr (6-4, 325 pounds) is rated as the No. 39 interior offensive lineman in the 2026 cycle, according to On3.
The three-star announced his commitment after leaving his official visit with the Gators, the first official visit slated for Carr this summer. He had trips to Alabama on June 6, Georgia on June 13 and Tennessee on June 20 planned, but it remains to be seen if those visits will still take place.
Carr is the first offensive line commit and third overall in the Gators’ 2026 recruiting class, joining four-star quarterback Will Griffin, three-star defensive lineman Jamir Perez, who committed two weeks ago after his visit.
He is also the first of the 12 prospects currently predicted to choose the Gators to announce his commitment.
Florida holds predictions to land three-star offensive tackle Javarii Luckas, four-star safety Kaiden Hall, four-star running back Carsyn Baker, three-star offensive tackle Chancellor Campbell, four-star Louisville corner commit Jaydin Broadnax, four-star FSU receiver commit Darryon Williams, four-star linebacker Malik Morris, four-star defensive lineman Valdin Sone, four-star defensive lineman Vodney Cleveland, four-star defensive back CJ Hester and three-star tight end Kekua Aumua.
Florida Gators on SI is tracking all of the Gators’ major recruiting news, from commits to prospects of note to the official visit schedule, on our 2026 Recruiting Tracker.
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