Lane Pittman, who works on the Jacksonville Jaguars “hype crew,” was just trying to out-bro the rest of the bros in Jacksonville on July 4th. He just wanted to slay through the Star-Spangled Banner for those who gathered on Neptune Beach to get patriotic. The local cops, however, had a different idea and they weren’t down with the bro show.
Pittman was arrested.
Let’s start with Pittman’s side of the story from what he posted on YouTube:
I originally set up in the middle of the street but was told by an officer that I was going to go to jail if I kept playing and that I couldn’t play in the street. I then asked if I could just move it back to the side walk and the officer said yes. So I did. After I got done, multiple officers came up to me and said they “just needed to talk to me.” I thought I was in the clear because the original officer told me it was okay to play on the sidewalk. I guess he failed to let his fellow officers know because they detained me and threatened to take me downtown for it. I do not promote deliberately defying authority. I endorse good character and fun times within the system. I did not have a drop of alcohol in my system and was just trying to be as patriotic as I can, legally, on the day of our independence. So, before rumors spread, this is to clarify ANYTHING being said among the public. I have youth that I teach small groups at in church. I have youth that I coach. I would never, for a second, want them to think that intentionally rebelling against authority is something that I am for. Nor do I want the parents of those youth to think that. I am very thankful for the support of THE greatest family, friends, and fans in the entire world. I love all of ya’ll more than you can ever know.
Now we go to the Neptune police to hear their side, via News4 Jacksonville:
“Out of respect for the national anthem, they let them finish the National Anthem,” Neptune Beach Police Chief David Sembach said. “He was told he was going to have to stop playing. He went to the sidewalk and continued playing, and it was only after that that the crowd was getting hostile, so the only way to stop it, since he wasn’t going to stop playing, was to take him out of the location.”
Now for Pittman’s attorney:
Attorney Caleb Rowland is representing Pittman.
“I’ve never seen a law that says you can’t play the national anthem on a sidewalk,” Rowland said. “Disturbing the peace could be used to cover a lot of conducts that may not necessarily be criminal. I guess we’re going to have to wait and see what the state attorney decides to do with it.”
Pittman has no criminal record. He plays in his church’s band, is a high school lacrosse coach and is well-known in the beaches community. Pittman said he is hoping to be the next Jaxson de Ville.
Sembach told News4Jax he thinks because of Pittman’s mascot ambitions, it’s possible the whole incident was a publicity stunt on his part.
Now the video:
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Lane Pittman wants your mascot vote. Help out the ginger.
