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2024 Florida Statutes

Title XLVI CRIMES
Chapter 870 AFFRAYS; RIOTS; ROUTS; UNLAWFUL ASSEMBLIES Entire Chapter
SECTION 04
Specified officers to disperse riotous assembly.
F.S. 870.04
870.04 Specified officers to disperse riotous assembly.—If any number of persons, whether armed or not, are unlawfully, riotously, or tumultuously assembled in any county, city, or municipality, the sheriff or the sheriff’s deputies, or the mayor, or any commissioner, council member, alderman, or police officer of the city or municipality, or any officer or member of the Florida Highway Patrol, or any officer or agent of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission or the Department of Environmental Protection, any beverage enforcement agent, any personnel or representatives of the Department of Law Enforcement or its successor, or any other peace officer, shall go among the persons so assembled, or as near to them as may be done with safety, and shall in the name of the state command all the persons so assembled immediately and peaceably to disperse. If such persons do not thereupon immediately and peaceably disperse, such officers shall command the assistance of all such persons in seizing, arresting, and securing such persons in custody. If any person present being so commanded to aid and assist in seizing and securing such rioter or persons so unlawfully assembled, or in suppressing such riot or unlawful assembly, refuses or neglects to obey such command, or, when required by such officers to depart from the place, refuses and neglects to do so, the person shall be deemed one of the rioters or persons unlawfully assembled, and may be prosecuted and punished accordingly.
History.—ss. 1, 2, ch. 1637, 1868; RS 2409; GS 3242; RGS 5075; CGL 7177; s. 1, ch. 61-223; s. 1, ch. 61-237; s. 1, ch. 67-2203; s. 3, ch. 67-2207; ss. 20, 25, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 34, ch. 73-334; s. 1, ch. 77-174; s. 29, ch. 79-8; s. 477, ch. 94-356; s. 1399, ch. 97-102; s. 233, ch. 99-245; s. 30, ch. 2012-88; s. 16, ch. 2019-141.