CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – The Clay County Sheriff’s Office said a man who was openly carrying a firearm showed up at their facility after phoning in threats regarding Sheriff Michelle Cook.
Records show Robert Abel, 55, was arrested Sunday on a list of charges. Law enforcement officials said that had the incident happened on a weekday when the lobby is officially open, the outcome might have been different.
“I was aware of it, and that is why we added additional security personnel around the building, and we were prepared for him,” Cook told News4JAX.
Deputies said that when they tried to disarm Abel in the parking lot, he put up a struggle before eventually being wrestled to the ground.
When they searched his truck, the Sheriff’s Office said, investigators found a go-bag containing ammunition, body armor, two knives, medical supplies, medication, a change of clothing and meals ready-to-eat — or MREs.
Abel reportedly told deputies that he was working for the president of the United States and had come to arrest Sheriff Cook. The sheriff noted that the incident didn’t happen on a weekday when the doors to the front lobby are unlocked, meaning someone could have walked in with a loaded weapon.
“What we’re seeing across America these days are random ambush attacks on law enforcement, and that very well could have been the case Sunday morning or any morning for that matter,” Cook said.
Following what happened, Cook said there will likely be some security changes.
For comparison, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office’s security is much different. The second you enter the front door, there’s a metal detector. Then, you have to check in with security at the front desk, where security officers are armed.
Records show Abel has a valid carry and conceal permit.
It’s unlawful to openly carry a firearm in Florida unless you are a law enforcement officer, and it’s forbidden to enter a sheriff’s office with a concealed firearm — doing so is a third degree felony.
Abel was charged with illegally carrying a gun, threatening the sheriff and resisting arrest.