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Political canvasser says he was harassed while handing out flyers
A man walking door-to-door passing out political flyers in one Florida community says he was harassed by a resident.
WINDERMERE, Fla. - A man walking door-to-door passing out political flyers in one Florida community says he was harassed by a resident.
John Columbus says he was passing out political flyers in Windermere for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist when a man in the neighborhood began to verbally harass him. In a video taken by Columbus, you hear a verbal exchange and see a man trying to stop Columbus as he tries to get past the resident to get to his car and leave.
"I felt like he was trying to engage me in a violent interaction and I tried to defuse the situation, and walk away he told me to leave, and I wanted to, but he wouldn’t let me leave," said Columbus.
This is happening to canvassers for candidates on both sides of the aisle. In South Florida, a Marco Rubio supporter was passing out flyers when he was beaten up leaving him with internal bleeding and a broken jaw.
"That’s the first time I had to deal with that, but I talked to other canvassers who have had to deal with that kind of thing, and it’s scary," said Columbus.
The neighborhood Columbus was in said, 'no soliciting', but he said he didn't know he wasn't allowed to be over there and would have left quickly and quietly if he was simply told to leave.