Florida law enforcement officials' desperate attempts to be social media stars ...

Florida law enforcement officials are being slammed for making demeaning social media posts mocking crime suspects and members of the public in an effort to build their social media following. 

Sheriff's offices have become prolific social media content creators lately, but the posts, critics say, are now digital pillories for suspects who may never be found guilty. 

A DailyMail.com investigation found that these desperate attempts to garner hundreds of thousands of followers - and potential voters - have exposed racist, sexist and humiliating content where suspects are made to look guilty even before the first court hearing, and some even display evidence not yet brought to court.

Just last week in Palm Beach County, a man charged with aggravated assault and improper display of a firearm in July 2020, sued Sheriff Ric Bradshaw after he posted tweets mocking him and refused to delete them when the charges were dismissed. 

The man claimed the posts caused 'mental anguish and hurt feelings' and is seeking punitive damages. 

And while many of the posts began as public service announcements, the lure of huge social media exposure is backfiring and has resulted in legally tenuous posts. 

Footage of Vincent Scavetta, who was pushing his father's wheelchair through a store, pointing his gun at fellow shopper Christopher Estrada went viral at a time when Covid masks were becoming a political issue throughout the country.

Scavetta left the store and was arrested a few days later.

The charges against the 30-year-old, however, were dropped by prosecutors when it became apparent Estrada, who was accompanied by his young daughter, hit Scavetta with an umbrella.

What's more, Scavetta has a valid permit to carry a concealed weapon and may have been covered by Florida's broad stand-your-ground laws.

Yet, the sheriff's office refused to delete its social media postings, including one from July 23, 2020 that read: 'Welcome to PBC jail, son. Let this be a lesson.'

In that tweet, the sheriff's office appears to be playing judge and jury and made Scavetta look guilty with the words: 'The man who pulled a gun during a verbal altercation.'

An earlier tweet dated July 14, 2020 featured Walmart surveillance photos of Scavetta with the phrase: 'You think you're big and bad because you pull out a gun?'

Scavetta now claims in court the posts and hundreds of comments from the public that the sheriff's office allowed on its Facebook and Twitter accounts were 'malicious and made with the intention to publicly humiliate, embarrass, and shame the plaintiff.' 

PBSO declined to comment on the pending litigation. But Public Information Officer Teri Barbera, whose office handles social media, explained the postings were simply to 'help detectives find Scavetta' after he left the scene. 

Meanwhile a review by DailyMail.com of the social media of other Florida law enforcement agencies shows the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office isn't the only agency publicizing arrests in legally tenuous ways.

Sheriff's offices throughout the state have become prolific social media content providers with their posts demeaning and humiliating their targets. 

For example, the Pasco County Sheriff's Office in New Port Richey.

Sheriff Chris Nocco's media office is putting six to ten Facebook postings a day on an account with more than 286,000 followers in a county with a population of half a million.

As far back as 2016, PCSO's Facebook page featured the 'Sad Criminal of the Day.'

One notorious post featured a photo of the arms of two white deputies holding a black suspect by his hair who allegedly tried to flee a traffic stop.

The man, identified as Marquis Porter, is seen sitting on the ground and weeping.

In time, Porter was found guilty of nine charges, including possession of several types of drugs, fleeing police and aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer.

The Facebook post received 6,100 comments, not all of them good for the sheriff.

'Whoever posted this is sick,' commented Kristl Bryant. 'He's a man, a human, someone's child … To shame him is disgusting.'

Many commenters took shots at the crying suspects, with Brian Reilly writing: 'Glad to see some people still have a sense of humor that hasn't been curbed by today's politically correct/weak society.'

The agency, meanwhile, didn't just limit itself in writing about suspects. Unsuspecting members of the public were fair game, too.

In May 2017, the Pasco County Sheriff's Office posted the story of a local woman undergoing fertility treatment who called 911 when she mishandled two vials of sperm while placing them in a thermos full of dry ice, and reported a risk of explosion.

Soon, the sheriff's office posted a photo of a non-descript woman grimacing with the palm of her left hand open with this explanation: 'Pasco deputies responded to an Assist Other Agency call for service yesterday, May 17, at about 6 p.m. A 26-year-old Port Richey woman contacted emergency personnel, including Pasco Fire Rescue, about a possible dangerous situation.

'The woman advised she is trying to get pregnant by artificial insemination ... and was trying to store the sperm as per the directions. She stated she placed two small vials of sperm inside a 2-quart stainless steel thermos, added dry ice, and closed the lid without removing the rubber O-ring as the directions required.'

'The deputy advised Fire-Rescue personnel...of the potential for an explosion due to increasing pressure inside the device.'

'Fire-Rescue personnel carried the container outside to a safe location and used a pair of channel lock pliers to remove the thermos lid, releasing the pressure and removing the danger. The container was given back to the woman without incident.'

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