Florida – Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd told homeowners to shoot looters who break into their homes.
Hurricane Ian recently made landfall on Florida’s west coast as a category 4 storm.
The eye of the storm hit Cape Coral, Fort Myers and Punta Gorda Wednesday with maximum sustained winds of 155 miles per hour.
Looters are looking to take advantage of areas facing severe damage from the hurricane.
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Sheriff Judd told homeowners to protect their property.
“I would highly suggest that if a looter breaks into your home, comes into your home while you’re there to steal stuff, that you take your gun and you shoot him – you shoot him so he looks like grated cheese,” Grady Judd told Fox News host Ainsley Earhardt.
“Because you know what, that’s one looter that won’t break into anyone else’s home and take advantage of them when they’re the most vulnerable and the most weak,” Judd said.
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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis recently warned potential looters to beware because Florida is a Second Amendment state.
“We are a law and order state, and this is a law and order community,” DeSantis said while speaking at a press conference in Fort Myers on Friday. “So do not think that you’re going to take advantage of people who’ve suffered misery.”
“Don’t even think about looting,” DeSantis said later.
“I can tell you in the state of Florida, you never know what may be lurking behind somebody’s home,” DeSantis said. “And I would not want to chance that if I were you — given that we’re a Second Amendment state.”