A 69-year-old Key Largo man was arrested Thursday for possessing an AR-15 rifle with a “bump stock” attached, which the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) classified as illegal in 2019.
Jorge Poo was charged with possessing a bump stock firearm.
The case began on May 1 when Poo was arrested and charged with aggravated assault after pointing a gun at a group of people at a Key largo condominium. There had been an argument over people driving golf carts on condo grass, of which Poo disapproved. Shortly after Poo’s arrest, a county judge granted the Sheriff’s Office the authority to remove all the firearms from Poo’s residence until his criminal matter was resolved.
Detectives arrived to Poo’s residence on May 12 with that order and Poo obliged. Detectives recovered an Ruger AR-15 rifle with a bump stock on that day.
Bump stocks or bump fire stocks are gun stocks that can be used to assist in “bump” firing. Bump firing is the act of using the recoil of a semi-automatic gun to fire ammunition in rapid succession.
On Dec. 18, 2018, Acting U.S. Attorney General Matthew Whitaker announced the Department of Justice amended the regulations of the ATF, clarifying that bump stocks fall within the definition of “machine gun” under federal law, as the devices allow a shooter of a semiautomatic firearm to initiate a continuous firing cycle with a single pull of the trigger. On March 26, 2019, the ATF passed a final ruling on bump stocks making them illegal to own or sell.
Sheriff’s Office Detectives notified the ATF after finding the AR-15 bump stock rifle on May 12.
The ATF eventually notified the Sheriff’s Office that they would not pursue the case, however the Monroe County State Attorney’s Office stated they would.
A warrant was subsequently issued for Poo’s arrest and he was booked into jail on Friday.
Man arrested after stabbing/gun incident
A 57-year-old Big Pine Key man was arrested Thursday night after stabbing and pointing a rifle at another man.
Rodney Steven Heath was charged with aggravated battery and aggravated assault with a weapon.
There were no life-threatening injuries reported.
Multiple Deputies responded to a residence on the 30000 block of Cardinal Lane on Big Pine Key at approximately 9 p.m. regarding a domestic incident in which a stabbing occurred. There they found Heath and a man who is dating a family member of Heath’s. Heath and the 36-year-old male victim were arguing over a family matter. Heath went to the backyard and untied the victim’s boat from a dock. The men began physically fighting when Heath brandished a pocketknife. The victim was cut on his head, chest and stomach. He also had a puncture wound to his abdomen.
The victim stated Heath then went back inside and he followed. At some point inside, Heath brandished an AR-15 rifle. Heath pushed the victim with the barrel of the rifle.
Cell phone video taken by the victim corroborated his account of the incident.
Paramedics treated the victim on scene. He declined transport to the hospital.
The rifle and pocketknife were placed into evidence.
Heath was taken to jail.
