Polk County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested a Florida pastor today, in Mulberry, as he was on his way to burn 3,000 Korans in protest of the 9/11 attacks.
According to Sheriff’s Office reports, deputies arrested Pastor Terry Jones, 61, and Marvin Sapp, 44, at about 5 p.m. Sept. 11, at the Mulberry Pharmacy, 1009 N. Church Ave., Mulberry, on felony charges after a traffic stop.
Jones is the pastor for Dove World Outreach Center and Dove Charismatic Ministries Inc. Sapp is associate pastor for Dove World Outreach Center and Dove Charismatic Ministries Inc.
Jones’ charges include unlawful conveyance of fuel and unlawful open carry of a firearm. Sapp’s charges include unlawful conveyance of fuel and having no valid registration for the smoker trailer he was towing
Deputies have seized Sapp’s white 1998 Chevrolet 1500 pickup and the smoker/trailer. Sapp also will receive multiple traffic citations for not having proper lighting on the trailer.
The unlawful conveyance of fuel charge stems from Jones and Sapp dousing and emptying kerosene into a smoker/trailer onto a stack of Korans and then transporting the trailer onto a state road. The unlawful open carry of a firearm charge is a result of multiple deputies observing Jones openly carrying a handgun on his left hip in plain view to the general public in a McDonalds parking lot, 205 E. Canal St., Mulberry.
“My detectives had many conversations with Terry Jones prior to today,” said Sheriff Grady Judd. “He was told he was welcome to come to Polk County and express his First Amendment rights. However, if he violated the law, he would absolutely be arrested and placed in the county jail.
“On Sept. 11, he arrived in Polk County, violated the law and our detectives arrested him and booked him into the county jail, just as he was informed,” Judd said.