Letter to the Governor - Request for Special Prosecutor
My open letter to Governor DeSantis
Yesterday I sent an open five page letter to Governor Ron DeSantis requesting a special prosecutor be assigned to investigate the police misconduct at my mother’s funeral by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. The main bodycam went viral last week with over 500,000 views.
Specifically this letter is seeking a full investigation of the incident, and as warranted, the charging, arrest, and prosecution of Lee County Sheriff’s Deputy Jonathon Miller under § 784.03 for criminal battery.
The letter also calls for a review of potential civil rights violations under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for referral to federal authorities at the DOJ.
“My entire life in Florida I have heard politicians say that “no one is above the law”. Well talk is cheap, actions are expensive. I would like to see the state of Florida put its money where its mouth is. No son of a murdered mother deserves to be treated this way in the middle of a eulogy reading.”
“Tragically, nobody cared about my family until people started dying. I hope and pray that you do now and that you can grant this request before your time as governor is over.”
You can download the full letter here with all of the exhibits included, 18 pages total, including pictures of my injuries and other evidence.
Alternatively this is the main text content of the original five page letter.
Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Johnson
May 18, 2026
To: The Honorable Ron DeSantis, Office of the Governor
The Capitol
400 S. Monroe St.
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001
CC: The Honorable James Uthmeier, Attorney General of Florida
Florida Board of Funeral, Cemetery, and Consumer Services
Paul A. Poland, Deputy Chief Assistant State Attorney SAO20
William Gladson, State Attorney for the Fifth Judicial Circuit
Major Travis Hicks, Lee County Sheriff’s Office
Doug Stephens, Florida Attorney General’s Office of Civil Rights
State Senator, Ralph E. Massullo, Jr.
State Representative, Jeff Holcomb
Florida Department of Law Enforcement
RE: Formal Request for Executive Appointment of a Special Prosecutor to Investigate and Prosecute Criminal Battery by Lee County Sheriff’s Deputy
Dear Governor DeSantis,
I am writing to formally request that you exercise your executive authority under Article IV, Section 4 of the Florida Constitution and Fla. Stat. § 27.14 to appoint a special prosecutor from a neutral judicial circuit to investigate and prosecute criminal battery charges against a Lee County Sheriff’s deputy. This request is necessary due to irreconcilable conflicts of interest that prevent the State Attorney for the 20th Judicial Circuit (SAO20) from conducting an impartial investigation against their own local law enforcement agency.
This matter concerns an incident on September 27, 2025, where an “off-duty” uniformed Lee County Sheriff’s deputy, working an extra-duty detail, physically assaulted me without notice or cause while I was delivering my mother’s eulogy at her funeral. My brother Devin Johnson had allegedly strangled and stabbed her to death over 100 times just days before in Lee County Florida (case 25-CF-000524). My mother Rosemary’s death marks one of the most brutal acts of domestic violence ever recorded in Cape Coral Florida. Preceding this she was beaten by my father Alfred Johnson for 40 years in Lee County while prosecutors did nothing to stop the bloodshed but drop DV cases against my family. They did this against the law as written and against the clear intent of the Florida legislature under § 741.2901. It seems imminent now that after nearly half a century of non-stop domestic violence in Lee County, the first ever violent crime conviction in my family will be for first degree murder. Amazingly, prosecutors in SAO20 dropped two felonies against my brother, for beating our mother, just months before the murder in case 25-CF-014120. Had prosecutors followed legislative intent, my mother may be alive right now.
This is the contextual backdrop that led to my mother’s funeral. An appalling failure of the state of Florida to stop the violence in my family against the will of the legislature. Almost half a century of professional negligence while my mother suffered and then literally died from domestic violence. This was then followed just days after her death, by a law enforcement officer assaulting me at my own mother’s funeral, in the middle of reading her eulogy, violating my constitutional rights and causing actual harm on what was already the darkest day of my life.
The deputy’s actions at my mother’s funeral may constitute criminal battery, an unconstitutional use of excessive force, and a violation of my First Amendment rights under the federal constitution (and our state constitution’s equivalent provisions). The subsequent Internal Affairs investigation by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office under Lieutenant James Saffold was demonstrably deficient, concluding there was “no evidence” of physical contact despite its own witness statements, body camera footage to the contrary, pictures of my injuries, and other available evidence.
Summary of Facts
Date/Location: September 27, 2025, at Fort Myers Memorial Gardens Funeral Home & Cemetery 1589 Colonial Blvd, Fort Myers, FL 33907
Incident: While lawfully delivering a eulogy for my mother at the time and place authorized in writing by the funeral director, Shannon Mullins (License #: F044369), an off-duty sheriff’s deputy, without warning, notice, or verbal command, physically pushed and shoved me through a doorway, instantly stopping my eulogy speech mid sentence and causing physical bleeding injury in two places to my right hand. The officer did not identify as law enforcement, did not speak to me, ask me a question, or gesture non-verbally. He simply attacked while I was reading the eulogy. I did not even see him approaching while reading, and assumed law enforcement would escort the heckler outside, as CCPD had just done ~90 minutes earlier under similar circumstances during an earlier stage of the funeral in a Catholic church.
Legal Status: The deputy was off-duty or “extra duty” and was not engaged in the lawful performance of his duties, as he was acting on the instruction of a funeral home employee to stop a constitutionally protected speech authorized by the funeral director. Under Florida law, specifically Nicolosi v. State, 783 So. 2d 1095 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 2001), an off-duty officer acting for a private employer without criminal activity occurring is not protected from battery charges. I was engaged in constitutionally protected, peaceful, respectful, religious and ceremonial speech for my own mother. I was not accused of a crime, have never been detained, arrested, or charged for a crime in my entire life anywhere on earth. The funeral director Shannon Mullins did NOT give this order to law enforcement. He has since apologized in writing, explicitly denied and distanced himself from the decision and specific incident. I have attached a copy of his written messages regarding this apology and the incident. Likewise Fort Myers Memorial Gardens Funeral Home & Cemetery - the actual owner of the property - has maintained they had zero involvement in this event, no employees or personnel present, and only contracted the space to Mr. Mullins on an ordinary basis.
Flawed IA Investigation: The Lee County Sheriff’s Office Internal Affairs report (IA Case #CC2025-191) exonerated the deputy by claiming “no evidence” of physical contact. This finding directly contradicts witness testimony within the same report and is disproven by available body camera footage. Photographs of my injuries were sent to LCSO. Even now many months later I have visible scars from the incident. A sample of available evidence has been attached to this letter including pictures of my injuries, pictures from the incident, and text messages from the licensed funeral director assisting and instructing me for when and where to read the subject eulogy that day. Mr. Mullins spent considerable time that entire day assisting and facilitating the reading of my eulogy, even removing a heckler from St. Andrew’s Church earlier that day with CCPD officers when that individual began screaming at my wife and two year old daughter. This is the same heckler who later began screaming in the middle of my eulogy reading which was otherwise half done without issue or incident. This heckler is one of my domestic abusers and has been arrested twice for domestic violence crimes against me, first by CCPD and second by the Hernando County Sheriff’s office in open court - partly in response to the church incident from this exact day.
The eulogy: a copy of the eulogy is attached for your review. I have been a professional writer, event director, and public speaker in Florida for twenty years now. My eulogy is polite, warm, and respectful. I loved my mother and took great pride in writing this eulogy to the best of my ability. I read to the end of the first page without interruption or incident, it was only then that screaming began, followed by law enforcement assaulting me while reading. There is nothing obscene or objectionable in the eulogy to a reasonable person. I honored my mother’s life, suffering, and death. She did not die from natural causes or an accident, she was murdered in an act of horrific matricide. I hate domestic violence with every bone in my body, without apology, have my entire life, and now more than ever. The eulogy has since been read by over 1.5 million people on social media with a strongly positive response from the public at https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1NxpbkE3vs/
Conflicts of Interest Requiring Executive Action
An impartial prosecution of this deputy is impossible if left to local authorities due to the following conflicts:
20th Judicial Circuit (Lee County): The State Attorney’s Office for the 20th Judicial Circuit maintains a close and necessary working relationship with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. This inherent institutional alignment makes it a conflict of interest for SAO20 to criminally investigate and prosecute one of the Sheriff’s own deputies, particularly when the Sheriff’s internal investigation has already been closed with a flawed and biased conclusion. Justice requires an independent review, free from local influence.
5th Judicial Circuit (my residence): Assigning this case to the State Attorney for the 5th Judicial Circuit, where I reside, is also untenable. I recently filed a lawsuit against that office for Marsy’s Law violations, creating a clear conflict of interest and the appearance of impropriety that would taint any investigation or prosecutorial decision they might make.
[I would stress that Mr. Paul Poland at SAO20 by comparison has been completely professional in their office’s adherence to Marsy’s Law in my mother’s murder case and addressing any concerns I had].
The appointment of a special prosecutor is a well-established remedy in Florida for such conflicts, as seen in the executive assignments made in the Trayvon Martin case and the Clay County Sheriff investigation.
Request for Executive Action
The facts of this case - a uniformed law enforcement officer using physical force to instantly silence a citizen’s eulogy reading at his own mother’s funeral - are objectively outrageous, demanding an independent, credible investigation. The conflicts of interest with both the 20th and 5th Judicial Circuits make executive intervention the only viable path to justice.
Therefore, I formally request that you:
Appoint a Special Prosecutor from a neutral judicial circuit, such as the 4th, 6th, or 13th , to assume full jurisdiction over this matter.
Direct the Special Prosecutor to conduct a full, formal, and impartial investigation into the actions of the Lee County Sheriff’s deputy for the crime of Simple Battery under Florida Statute § 784.03 and any other statute deemed proper.
This matter also presents potential federal civil rights claims under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for First Amendment retaliation and Fourth Amendment excessive force, which the special prosecutor should investigate for potential referral to federal authorities.
I have compiled substantial evidence, including video, audio, and sworn testimonial evidence from the courts of Hernando County documenting the exact order of events, that will be made available to the appointed special prosecutor or other officials upon request.
Thank you for your attention to this critical matter of public trust and constitutional rights. My entire life in Florida I have heard politicians say that “no one is above the law”. Well talk is cheap, actions are expensive. I would like to see the state of Florida put its money where its mouth is. No son of a murdered mother deserves to be treated this way in the middle of a eulogy reading. The fact that I have been a public speaker for 20 years in Florida and was never once assaulted while speaking by anyone until my own mother’s funeral is a remarkable order of events. If this law enforcement officer in fact broke the law, then he deserves to be charged, arrested and face the criminal justice system with due process rights like anyone else in this state.
As a lifelong, second generation Floridian I have strived to follow the laws of this state my entire life. That’s why I’ve never been detained or arrested for any reason, ever. That’s why I’ve always treated Florida’s law enforcement officers with respect and courtesy. Their jobs are serious, often dangerous, and difficult. My lifelong efforts were betrayed on this day, what was already the worst day of my life even before being assaulted while reading a eulogy. I left my mother’s funeral with myself, my wife, and my two year old daughter Charlotte covered in blood, screaming.
To say that my mother would be outraged by this is an understatement. She would be furious.
This should never have happened. I expect better out of Florida’s law enforcement officers and I’m sure you do as well.
You are the most competent governor of my lifetime. I voted for you twice and got a lot more than I voted for. You and Mr. Uthmeier (and a state judge) got open carry done. I never thought I would live to see the day where Floridians could openly carry a firearm as the “law of the state”. I am still in shock that this was accomplished with the support of your office, as it represents a major advancement of freedom and 2nd amendment rights for all Floridians.
Likewise you signed sweeping divorce, alimony, and child custody changes into law in 2023. The rights of fathers and husbands throughout this state are better honored, and justice is better served by these changes. Florida’s children too now benefit from better access to both parents. I was ecstatic to see this signed into law after prior governorships failed to do so.
These are just two examples of the many accomplishments during your time as governor. I think I speak for millions of Floridians in saying that, no matter who comes next, you will soon be missed in the governor’s mansion.
I say this not to flatter you, as I’ve been openly (and sharply) critical of some of your decisions as well. These accomplishments are mentioned to highlight your competence, moral courage, and professionalism. You stood up for highly specific, controversial rights regarding firearms, fathers, husbands, and children in complex family court issues that most politicians wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole.
That’s what I expect of my government, that’s what your governorship has delivered, and that’s what I want for my family now: a fair, formal, professional investigation into the facts of this incident by a neutral prosecutor. Whatever the outcome, that alone would be a victory for justice given the shocking nature of these events.
Tragically, nobody cared about my family until people started dying. I hope and pray that you do now and that you can grant this request before your time as governor is over.
I look forward to a response from your office.
Sincerely,
/s/ Anthony & Allyssa Johnson
May 18, 2026