Occupy Pensacola Protester Now Occupies Jail Cell

November 19, 2011

An Occupy Pensacola protestor has been charged with stealing furniture from his neighbor and using it as the group camped out at Pensacola City Hall.

Jeffrey Lewis Scott, 32, was charged with felony burglary and larceny. He was booked into the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $20,000.

The victim told deputies that he observed property that he had previously reported stolen in Scott’s van parked alongside the curb on Heather Oaks Drive. Scott admitted to deputies that he taken the furniture.

“Yes, I took the furniture. I was going to give it back, but haven’t had the chance to,” Scott told deputies, according to an arrest report, before starting to remove his clothing while walking back toward deputies. Scott was taken into custody, at which time he told the arresting deputy that he had entered his next door neighbor’s house where he took multiple pieces of furniture without permission.

“I am solely guilty of the charges and I accept the responsibility,” Scott told deputies.

Deputies found four chairs, three cushions and four pillows — all stolen — in his residence, along with several sofa cushions in his van. He told deputies that the remaining furniture stolen from his neighbor was outside the Pensacola City Hall at the Occupy Pensacola camp.

Comments

22 Responses to “Occupy Pensacola Protester Now Occupies Jail Cell”

  1. David Huie Green on November 23rd, 2011 8:18 am

    REGARDING:
    “Jeff’s actions do not represent Occupy Pensacola, – - – Many feel the need to join the circus of the media and make fun of this young man and associate him with Occupy in a way to discredit the movement – - – Unfortunately for Jeff, his actions have automatically removed him from Occupy. Theft is not tolerated. But, thanks to the press and the shallow circus mentality of the public, he has branded Occupy Pensacola with his actions.“

    So the idea of taking over or away what currently belongs to others is not in the minds of members of Occupy? as they set up tents in public and private parks and declare they aren’t going to leave until ___________ is accomplished? Thereby pushing out other users and scaring some drivers.

    Please consider that his actions are the natural outgrowth of what the movement seems to be pushing. It includes the concept that some segment of society owes more than an equal share to the rest of society. That can only be “corrected” by taking it away from the haves as he seems to have done on a smaller scale.

    There’s also the question of whether or not Occupy has anyone with the decision making and enforcement power to remove anyone — no matter how crazy or avaricious — from their ranks. Everything I’ve seen or heard from its members leads me to believe it doesn’t.

    It’s interesting that you consider the public to be shallow minded. That sounds elitist and may not be a good way to win friends and influence people.

    David considering circuses
    and Better-than-yous

  2. Bill Paul on November 22nd, 2011 12:04 pm

    I am an Occupy Pensacola supporter. I have come to know Jeff through Occupy. He is a Libertarian and Ron Paul supporter, of which there are many in the Occupy movement. I am not one of them, but I want to make it clear, that Jeff’s actions do not represent Occupy Pensacola, or the Libertarians of OP.
    Let me say first off, there is no excuse at all for what Jeff did. None. What I want to say about Jeff, is to explain him. Not to excuse him.
    It had been obvious to many of us that Jeff may have had emotional issues. He had lost two fathers growing up and was “medicated” for various behavior troubles as well. He told me he wanted to be a minister and was kicked out of two religious schools.
    Right now, Jeff’s picture is all over the country. Many feel the need to join the circus of the media and make fun of this young man and associate him with Occupy in a way to discredit the movement. Jeff always talked about love and what an important force in the world it was. I think in his way he was just looking for it. In Occupy he saw people who cared about the world, about our country and each other. When Jeff pissed many of us off in his occasional rants (before the theft) we did not kick him out. He was always welcome and found a hug from friends when he needed it.
    Unfortunately for Jeff, his actions have automatically removed him from Occupy. Theft is not tolerated. But, thanks to the press and the shallow circus mentality of the public, he has branded Occupy Pensacola with his actions. Some in Occupy hate him for that. Most of us still love him and hope he gets what he needs to correct his behavior, and the love he is looking for.
    My young children thought he was great. He was kind and loved playing music for them. Thank you Jeff.

  3. David Huie Green on November 21st, 2011 5:30 am

    REGARDING:
    ” Money is not Free Speech! Corporations are NOT PEOPLE! ”

    Of course, it isn’t FREE speech, but it IS speech. Money talks. People say what they mean by how they spend their money. Any limitation on how a person spends his or her money to speak is a way of stifling that person.

    Legally corporations ARE people, but more to the point, every corporation is composed of people — with the occasional Klingon thrown in for good measure. Corporations are composed of people, employ people, are intended to benefit people even if only the share holders — people.

    The only real problems with corporations speaking through money is the decisions of Congress to hide the money, not admit who is funding their efforts and lifestyles. Again, that’s not a corporation problem, that’s a politician problem.

    If you can get THEM to reform that, you will have done a good thing. Those who say they will Occupy until all corruption is ended are saying they intend to Occupy forever, because even if you eliminated all corruption today, someone would start it back up tomorrow.

    In the mean time, stealing is still wrong even if done by the most noble of Occupy people.

    David for freedom of expression
    and property rights

  4. Bob Wilson on November 20th, 2011 9:08 pm

    Many of the Occupation of Pensacola have real jobs, or are retired… I fit both categories. It was an attraction for many not so fortunate and they were welcomed as long as they were civil. Some believe in different idealogy, but all believe we need some revolutionary change in America. The most common belief and mine is we must reform our political system to stop it from being bought. Money is not Free Speach! Corporations are NOT PEOPLE! The People that run corporations are not accountable because of the design of incorporating in the first place to protect them from liability and the purpose of incorporating is to profit. Not evil until it is at the cost of everyone else…We need honest democracy to protect us from the unchecked profiters, thar be PIRATES!

  5. huh on November 20th, 2011 7:39 pm

    Steal furniture = go to jail

    Rob the American public blind , taking billions of dollars and giving yourself million dollar bonuses = no jail time

    Its amazing where our priorities are

  6. Julia W. on November 19th, 2011 10:31 pm

    It seems to me this guy is a LOSER from the get go.

  7. safebear on November 19th, 2011 9:09 pm

    We can’t get a job so lets get arrested so we can’t get a job! Sounds kind of backwards.

  8. David Huie Green on November 19th, 2011 9:03 pm

    REGARDING:
    “A felony? Seems a bit extreme.”

    You don’t think breaking into people’s homes and robbing them should be a crime?

    Please give them your address and a list of any valuables they might find to steal

    David for the ACLU

  9. For profit prisons on November 19th, 2011 3:15 pm

    A felony? Seems a bit extreme.

  10. Gembeaux on November 19th, 2011 3:13 pm

    Bozo.

  11. Friction against the machine on November 19th, 2011 1:18 pm

    Four more years of our current political system headed by Obama and we will all have an entitlement mentality.

  12. so on November 19th, 2011 12:55 pm

    Big banks doing bad and illegal business is NO EXCUSE for someone stealing furniture. Thats absolutely RIDICULOUS. 2 wrongs do NOT make it right. Nothing gets changed by stooping to the level of others. I find it hard to believe the vast majority of occupy people have full time jobs….otherwise, they wouldnt be able to sit out there 24/7. there are many more productive ways to make a statement and attempt to get results. As I said, there is a lot wrong with our country and plenty of room for improvement, but its still a heck of a lot better than many places….and certainly NO excuse for being a petty thief.

  13. David Huie Green on November 19th, 2011 12:02 pm

    REGARDING:
    “How can you talk about entitlement mentality and concessions in reference to a protester that stole a piece of furniture when banks are handed billions in bailouts from the government ”

    Easy, if you believe what the government did was wrong, you should also consider lesser examples of stealing wrong. At least most of the money given to the businesses has been repaid with interest. Presidents Bush and Obama justified bailouts by the damage done to ordinary people whose life savings were invested in those institutions.

    There really IS an entitlement mentality involved. People complain about the richer having more than the poorer as if the proper response is to steal it. To assume it should belong to the poorer is entitlement mentality.

    AND
    “None of the executives have gone to jail”

    Please consider the possibility none went to jail because they didn’t break any laws calling for jail time. Yes, they did bad things and many people were hurt, but if the government made doing the bad things legal, who is to be faulted? Those who followed the law or those who wrote the law?

    The fact that investigations are still ongoing indicates some in government are trying to find crimes they can actually charge them with. Maybe you just think the Obama administration is trying to help the Bush legacy by ignoring wrongdoing?

    AND
    “Houses are foreclosed on every day, (that’s a lot of furniture, people) illegally, because the banks don’t even have the original mortgage ”

    If they are foreclosed, that’s because they haven’t paid what they promised. If the banks don’t have the legal documentation to support the foreclosure, the judiciary can deal with it. If they approve it, it’s approved.

    David for honesty

  14. BOGIAN on November 19th, 2011 11:54 am

    This guy looks like a real winner and folks like him make the legit occupy crowd look bad.

    Mr. Cummins, I don’t think that anyone is happy with the bailouts, so lets not use that as an excuse to start taking things from other people. This guy did something wrong. It doesn’t really matter if banks have done something worse. The two are not related. Thinking that we should just take whatever from whomever because dirty banks got bailed out by dirty politicians is dangerous.

  15. Travis Cummins on November 19th, 2011 10:40 am

    How can you talk about entitlement mentality and concessions in reference to a protester that stole a piece of furniture when banks are handed billions in bailouts from the government after being involved in fraud and hedge-funds and sub-prime lending that caused the crash of 2008? Goldman Sachs is being investigated for something like 70+ financial crimes! None of the executives have gone to jail, none of them have accepted any blame. Houses are foreclosed on every day, (that’s a lot of furniture, people) illegally, because the banks don’t even have the original mortgage and selling it upstream! Sounds a lot like stealing to me. Oh and by the way, 70% of OWS have jobs.

  16. mary on November 19th, 2011 10:32 am

    I just wonder if all those people have jobs & do they go to work while they were “Occupying”…They have been “living” in tents & I just dont get it..there are other ways to get your point across….

  17. jcellops on November 19th, 2011 10:07 am

    do we need to have a judge decide when enough is enough? why cant the mayor of the cities set reasonable term limits on these protestors vigils, so that their 1st amendment rights are not ignored, but, in turn, the rights of all of the rest of us are not trampled upon?….2+ months is ridiculous!!!!!!!!!!!! frankly, i blame the mayors of these big cities for being politically correct wimps- at the expense of the HARD WORKING TAXPAYERS!!! i hope that they get voted OUT!

  18. Dan on November 19th, 2011 10:01 am

    To: EMD

    You Nailed It !!!!!!!

  19. EMD on November 19th, 2011 8:24 am

    Entitlement mentality now includes: I can take your stuff because you have it and I don’t? I guess this guy thinks he is really upright because he takes responsibility for doing this. There sure seems to be a lot of twisted thinking out there in 2011.

  20. so on November 19th, 2011 7:37 am

    i have no problem with a peaceful protest but this occupy crap is ridiculous. get a freaking job, take care of your responsibilites and make an actual difference in society….instead of using this event as an excuse to do nothing. Our country isnt perfect, none are. There are a lot of changes that could stand to be made. but there are many more productive, positive avenues to take than this occupy mess. Get off your buts and go to WORK

  21. Carolyn Bramblett on November 19th, 2011 6:14 am

    I can’t believe how many concessions have been made to these “Occupy” losers.

  22. 429SCJ on November 19th, 2011 3:59 am

    A different kind of anarchist, no doubt.