Two volunteers with the nonprofit group Defund Oligarchy Blessed by Liberty say deputies from the Florida Polk County Sheriff’s Office violently arrested them after they delivered supplies to a homeless camp in Florida. The group says both women were hurt during the incident.
According to the organization, Kim Edmond and Magdalene DuPree were stopped by deputies. They had just left Virgil’s Village, a homeless camp on private property in Polk County, Florida.
A nearly four-minute video posted on the group’s TikTok account, @defundoligarchyfl, shows what happened before the traffic stop and parts of the encounter with deputies.
The video begins with volunteers handing out food and supplies at Virgil’s Village in Florida. The organization says it regularly visits the camp to help homeless people and build relationships with them.
The group claims that deputies from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office in Florida were watching the volunteers during the outreach. The video names one deputy and says he watched the group before they left the property.
According to the organization, deputies pulled the volunteers over at about 6:50 p.m. after they drove away.
The group says the traffic stop was not justified because the deputies later claimed the vehicle crossed the white line at a stop sign. The video questions that explanation and says officers never gave the driver a traffic ticket.
Video recorded from inside the vehicle shows several deputies surrounding the car. Some of them are wearing gloves. The organization also says an unmarked vehicle arrived during the Florida traffic stop.
During the video, the volunteers repeatedly ask deputies why they were pulled over. Text shown on the screen claims deputies refused to explain the reason for the stop before the situation became more serious.
The organization also says deputies searched the vehicle while investigating possible drug paraphernalia, even though the stop was supposedly for a minor traffic violation.
The most serious claims come near the end of the video.
According to the text shown on the screen, deputies broke one of the vehicle’s windows, pulled the women out by force, took a cellphone, and stopped the recording.
The organization also says DuPree opened the car door herself. It says this goes against statements made later in an affidavit that claimed she refused to get out of the vehicle.
The organization says DuPree suffered several injuries, including a cervical contusion (neck sprain), a sprained knee, a shoulder injury, sprains in both wrists, and multiple bruises and scratches.
According to the text shown at the end of the video, DuPree did not receive medical care despite her injuries. The organization also says she remained handcuffed for about 90 minutes.
Internet Weighs In on Florida Grandma’s Encounter With Police
The video quickly ignited backlash online, with the majority of viewers arguing that the deputies used unnecessary and unjustified force during the arrest.
One commenter wrote, “They better go to jail. No excuse for this behavior. On the other hand, I could be like yt ppl and say she should have complied. My humanity won’t allow me to see injustice and go into hateful mode.”
Another said, “So, regardless of whether the stop was justified or not, you are required to step out of a vehicle if told to. It NEVER ends well if you don’t.” A third added, “Like we say in every other video like this, all she had to do is comply.”
Others focused on the force used during the arrest. One viewer wrote, “They seem to have absolutely no compassion for anyone these days.”
Another commenter argued, “It’s nothing more than targeted harassment. I hope she gets a lawyer and files a lawsuit.” One final viewer questioned the officers’ conduct, writing, “Do the officers who did this feel no guilt, no shame? We MUST start to have consequences when the police or ICE go well beyond acceptable behavior.”
As of this writing, the claims made in the TikTok video about the Florida incident have not been independently verified.
