Tampa veteran confronts panhandler, goes viral (2015, military, law)

[BucFan]

Damn scam artist using a JROTC uniform he probably picked up from Goodwill to pretend he's a vet?

Video: Tampa veteran confronts panhandler, goes viral | TBO.com and The Tampa Tribune



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgucGXi1FDI

[gypsychic]

This must have been staged. Too convenient for someone just to be following and filming so calmly. I think both guys were "in on it."

[sportsterjohn]

Nothing worse then someone claiming to be a vet when they weren't. The guy should have had his ass kicked.

[BucFan]

at least scare him out his wits to keep him from doing it again ---people are critical of the big guy being a bully - and deservedly so, he got his point across and chasing him down is too threatening and harassing, imo (23-yr vet here)......there is no law against wearing a junior ROTC uniform from what I understand - it's not like he's impersonating a police officer or something - too bad Goodwill and Thrift Stores keep selling or giving away the camo uniforms.......big guy crossed the line - he's not even in the military and has no right to chase the guy down.

[jambo101]

If our panhandler was in fact impersonating military personnel (a fact that was never established only assumed) our concerned citizen should have called the police rather than going off on a self rightious power trip on the little guy as it was he came off as a total big mouth bully.

A couple of Federal criminal statutes on the issue.=

18 USC § 912 - Officer or employee of the United States
Whoever falsely assumes or pretends to be an officer or employee acting under the authority of the United States or any department, agency or officer thereof, and acts as such, or in such pretended character demands or obtains any money, paper, document, or thing of value, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.

10 USC § 771 - Unauthorized wearing prohibited
Except as otherwise provided by law, no person except a member of the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine Corps, as the case may be, may wear— (1) the uniform, or a distinctive part of the uniform, of the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine Corps; or (2) a uniform any part of which is similar to a distinctive part of the uniform of the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine Corps.

[phonelady61]

Yes he should have called the police and not chased after the guy , the guy could have had a knife or a gun or anything .... goodness knows . that is on west Hillsborough ave a very busy street and he could have gotten that panhandler killed by a car coming down there . wow just wow .

[housingcrashsurvivor]

Regardless of whether it was wrong for the panhandler to wear that uniform (which looked like something from a salvation army store to me and certainly while worn by that guy nothing I'd associate with active duty), that big guy--if this was for real--was in the wrong for behaving like that.

That was cowardice disguised as patriotism. It would have been authentically brave for that big guy instead to show some compassion.

[OccidentExpress]

I fail to see how an ex-mercenary for the military-industrial complex is any better than a bum who stole a uniform. They're both welfare leaches, but at least the bum didn't kill anyone.

[GulfCoastGuy]

At the risk of offending everyone, I believe the big guy was absolutely correct. (But he could have handled it differently) It is absolutely disgraceful and immoral for a non-veteran to wear a Soldier's uniform. It's like burning the American flag.

How could the big guy have handled it differently? Get the police involved absolutely. If the Police had come to the scene, at that point the big guy would have been well within his 1st amendment right to shame the panhandler unmercifully with every last breath he could muster. I think the big guy was just being patriotic in honoring our Military and I won't fault him for that. I completely support his actions.

[Macgregorsailor51]

Just a bully if the Homeless Guy would have been 6 feet tall and in shape not fat like the bully that bully wouldnt have said or done anything..I dont agree with what the Vagrant was doing NOR do I agree with How The Bully Handled It..