FPC, FPF Sue Sumner County, Tennessee and Sheriff Over “F**K Gun Control” Decal

Well, it turns out the Sumner County, Tennessee Sheriff’s Office just couldn’t politely tolerate Nicholas Ennis’ choice to be an outspoken supporter of the Second Amendment. Today, Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) announced that attorneys for FPC, Firearms Policy Foundation, and Mr. Nicholas Ennis filed a new federal lawsuit over the unconstitutional stop and citation of Ennis based on a pro-Second Amendment decal displayed on his truck, violating Mr. Ennis’ First Amendment right to free speech, and Fourth Amendment right to be free from illegal search and seizure.

As a law-abiding resident of Sumner County who supports and lawfully exercises the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms, Mr. Ennis responsibly advocates for this right through peaceable political speech, including on the controversial topic of gun control measures. This case concerns one form of that speech—a window sticker displayed on Mr. Ennis’s truck that contained the message “Fuck Gun Control.”

Last September, while pumping gas, Sheriff’s Deputies observed Ennis’s truck which displayed the sticker. As Mr. Ennis attempted to leave the gas station, he was pulled over. He was cited under Tennessee Code 55-8-187, which prohibits “obscene or patently offensive bumper stickers.” Mr. Ennis hadn’t broken any traffic laws, his truck was in roadworthy condition, and he was driving the speed limit. He was stopped, detained, and cited, all because the deputy didn’t like what Mr. Ennis’ sticker said.

See the story at https://www.firearmspolicy.org/ennis-v-sumner-county-tennessee