City of Alachua pays $50k settlement to man arrested for protesting at DeSantis event
BY JENNIFER CABRERA
ALACHUA, Fla. – Chris Rose has received a $50,000 settlement from the City of Alachua after releasing the City from all claims arising from his arrest on October 20, 2022, at the Legacy Park Multipurpose Center for protesting against a prohibition on firearms at a Republican Party event where Governor DeSantis was speaking.
Rose was originally arrested for trespassing at the event by an Alachua Police Department officer, apparently at the request of a security company hired by the Governor’s campaign. Rose was on the sidewalk, across a driveway from the building, protesting a ban on concealed firearms carried by concealed carry permit holders at the event. He was holding a bright green poster that read, “I WILL NOT BE DISARMED BY DESANTIS.”
The event was made a gun-free zone by the DeSantis campaign’s private security firm, Colorado Security. At the time of the arrest, Rose was told that the sidewalk was also considered part of the private event and was therefore under the scope of the Legacy Park facility rental agreement.
A self-professed DeSantis fan, Rose told Alachua Chronicle at the time, “That is great that he has security protecting him, but what about me and the others at the event? If we have a concealed carry permit, we should be allowed to carry. The law only allows the Florida Legislature to create gun-free zones, not the Governor alone.”
Rose’s arrest garnered attention from the gun rights advocacy group Gun Owners of America, which hired attorney Eric Friday to defend Rose, and the charges were dropped the same day his Notice of Appearance in the case was filed.
In March 2025, Alachua Police Department Chief Jesse Sandusky issued a Legal Bulletin notifying officers that members of the public cannot be prohibited from entering the Legacy Park Multipurpose Center and similar public buildings if they are legally carrying a concealed weapon, regardless of the event being held, as long as the event is not one of the exceptions listed in Florida statutes.
In June 2025, Rose’s attorney sent the City of Alachua a pre-suit notice regarding claims for denial of entry to a City building based on lawful possession of a firearm, illegal trespass from a City park for engaging in First Amendment-protected conduct, retaliation, battery, false arrest, and false imprisonment.
In December 2025, Rose agreed to release the City from all claims resulting from the original event in exchange for a payment of $50,000, and the City’s insurance company issued the check the same month.
Rose released the following statement: “I am pleased to announce that I have settled my case with the City of Alachua regarding my unlawful arrest and incarceration on October 20, 2022. Here in Florida, the people have the right to carry in all public spaces except where prohibited by state law. We also have the right to peacefully assemble and protest. While my arrest and jail time were indeed egregious, I thank Jesus Christ for my strength to stand up for what is right and my attorney Eric Friday for handling my case. I also wish to extend a nod of appreciation to my arresting officers for their professional conduct. While this was a complete lapse of a duty to to enforce the law, I was nevertheless treated with dignity and respect and without malice. I also wish to commend the City Police Chief for agreeing to issue the legal bulletin in an effort to ensure this doesn’t happen to my fellow man. I am also pleased with the settlement from the City’s insurance company and note the amount as evidence of their desire to keep this case out of court. I also want to extend my heartfelt appreciation to Gun Owners of America for their unwavering support and for helping to spread the word about my unlawful arrest. This, beyond a doubt, played a large role in securing this victory for human rights.”
Luis Valdes from Gun Owners of America said, “As I said when Gun Owners of America helped secure the dismissal of the unlawful charges filed against Chris Rose in 2023, Mr. Rose embodied the spirit of civic duty our Founding Fathers envisioned. He stood firm not only for his own constitutional rights, but for the rights of every Floridian — and he did so with professionalism, restraint, and respect for the rule of law.
“Gun Owners of America will continue fighting relentlessly to ensure that Americans can exercise their First and Second Amendment rights together, without apology or intimidation. The right to peacefully protest government overreach is fundamental to our republic, and the lawful bearing of arms has long been part of our nation’s heritage. When citizens peacefully assemble to challenge government actions they know violate constitutional protections, they are not just exercising their freedoms — they are fulfilling their responsibility to hold those in office accountable.”
Well done sir! The second amendment is extremely clear.
Thanking Jesus Christ was the cherry on top.
Free speech was the issue Slice.
PS The 2A is clear that gun rights are established by the necessity of an institution which no longer exists and which Gen Washington berated as worse than useless during the Revolutionary War.
Jazzy, you’re one of those useful idiots Lenin loved so much. You want to infer that rights enshrined in amendments to the US Constitution no longer apply to modern society. If you feel thusly, maybe you should throw away the electronic device on which you typed your response and only use quill and ink.
You’re relying on an archaic institution to justify not fixing one of our biggest problems, not me.
Keep screaming about those mean guns that go off all by themselves without a human intended action like pulling a trigger. When you can control and license and regulate human intent, emotion, and premeditated action then maybe you have a defense against the 2nd Ammendment.
Until then think about the mad tranny who couldn’t handle that he would never be real woman and decided the best course of action was to kill off his family in Rhode Island. I wonder if any of the victims or bystanders wished they had a firearm to defend themselves against him.
And yes he had a CCW from Florida that needed to revoked when he started his weird science project that threw him into mental illness.
I’m sure there’s no coorelation between having both the highest numbers of guns and having the highest – by far – number of deaths by guns among industrialized nations and for having gun deaths the number one killer of our kids.
False
Always keep this story in mind when you hear Gov. DeSanctimonious waffling on about “Free Florida.” Actions always speak louder than words.
Sounds like a private security firm coerced a local police officer into arresting an innocent man. The state via the courts ruled in favor of the man.
As you said: “Actions always speak louder than words”
“The state via the courts” didn’t rule in favor of anyone. Did you read the story?
You’re right the city SETTLED. Paid 50k because the police didn’t know the law and the governors security firm (from Colorado?) obviously didn’t know the law also. My question is will the city now sue Colorado security or DeSantis for the 50k, or as citizens are we just out another 50k for stupidity?
Knowing the Trump wannabee, Desantis likely initiated the arrest.
It’s a sad commentary on America that there’s a perceived need to carry a weapon everywhere.
I don’t know much about Jesus, but the idea that Jesus would lend strength to anyone to carry around a deadly weapon that is designed to kill another, is ludicrous.
And of course the party of guns recognizing that allowing their constituents to carry weapons into confined spaces where they are gathering is dangerous, is the height of hypocrisy (however correct that is).
Matthew 26:53 Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?
Now, you do know something of Jesus. He had that on His side; unfortunately, given the times, society, and our inability to command such forces, many of us choose to carry.
There are between 393 million and over 500 million firearms in civilian possession in the United States get used to it.
Yeah, and that is working so well for us!
Jazz: you never heard of the castle doctrine?
Break into my home while I’m inside asleep and find out how well my firearm is working point blank. I’m not ending up on the 34th street wall..
Your stupidity always amazes me.
It IS working so well for us, JAzzercise. If guns were the problem, and NOT the humans wielding them, then there would be 400 to 500 million homicides annually. Guns are used far more often for lawful defense than you or your liberal media want to admit.
It’s working out fantastic for us actually, Jazzman–250 years later and people like you and the rest of the commie Epstein Island crowd still haven’t been able to take away our rights.
Stay mad and continue to take loss after loss for the next 250 years!
If it weren’t for your constituency Jazzman we would have Scandinavian levels of violent crime. But sure, blame guns.
Jesus also gets credit for winning stock car races.
And touchdowns…
You should have stopped typing at “I don’t know much.”
Hey there were two more ICE detainees booked into the Alachua County Jail yesterday. Go protest there.
Unfortunely God and Jesus sometimes need a helping hand. Law Enforcement also needs a hand because they can’t be everywhere to fend off the evil doers. There are plenty of Sheep dogs needed to watch over the flocks and protect the sheep that can’t protect themselves from the wolves.
And what do say when a protestor (Alex Pretti) was armed and ready. Is that not allowed too or does he get a pass?
From Luke 22:36:
And He said to them, “But now, whoever has a money belt is to take it along, likewise also a bag, and whoever has no sword is to sell his cloak and buy one.
All this BS could have been avoided if 1) both the private security company and the Alachua Police Department knew the law. AND 2) the Alachua Police Department didn’t let a private security company run them over under the premise that they are in charge because they are providing security for the Governor.
This would have been avoided had the Alachua County Republican Party, hosts of the event, not decided to break the law by going along with the DeSantis campaign’s unlawful demands to make the event a gun-free zone. In more than 30 years, this event has never been a gun-free zone and it has not been since. This event has featured governors as keynote speaker before; gun-grabber Rick Scott spoke at this event when he was governor and it was not a gun-free zone then.
Although I oppose Florida’s “wild west-style” open carry laws, I support this man’s position and cheer the outcome. “Governor” DeathSentence is a tin-pot dictator who suffers egregiously from short-man syndrome.
Just like Lil Kenny does too