Anthony Brasfield, Fla. man, charged after releasing balloons into sky, report says

By: Crimesider Staff
Topics: Daily Blotter

Heart-shaped balloons such as these, which seem to be carrying an innocent message of love, are what got a Florida man in trouble with the law on Feb. 24, 2013, for alleged environmental pollution.

/ TORSTEN BLACKWOOD/AFP/Getty Images

(CBS) DANIA BEACH, Fla. - Anthony Brasfield, a 40-year-old Florida man, was arrested and charged after releasing a dozen heart-shaped balloons into the sky on Sunday, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

What he thought was a romantic gesture, the state apparently regards as an illegal one.

Brasfield and his girlfriend, Shaquina Baxter, were reportedly in the parking lot of a Motel 6 in Dania Beach, Fla. when he released the helium balloons, for the sake of romance, and watched them fly away, the paper reports.

When a Florida Highway Patrol officer noticed what Brasfield was doing, he arrested him and charged him with polluting to harm humans, animals and plants under the Florida Air and Water Pollution Control Act, according to the paper.

The Sun-Sentinel reports the third-degree felony is punishable by up to five years in prison.

So not everything is fair in love and helium balloons.

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by Joedupont March 21, 2013 9:18 AM EDT: Dear Editor,
You can shoot and kill someone and be out in 8 years. Yet Anthony Brasfield may do 5 years for releasing 12 heart shaped balloons to win the heart of his girlfriend. near Fort Lauderdale.
Apparently 21 people have been arrested for this kind of "crime" which is deemed a felony! Perhaps the troopers could hang out at state and county fairs and cuff children when their balloon gets away from them!

What is this world coming to? I suggest that Mr. Brasfield and his girl friend should start to burning American flags as a political protest! I'm sure those who wrote the balloon law would commend them for such an act.. Now that would be legal! So will Mr. Brasfield be able to possess a gun now. God help us if such a terrible person can have a gun after expressing his love for his girl friend! Right?

Material below raises a good question about Mr. Brasfield ever have a gun.

Anyone who has been convicted of a felony is banned by federal law from ever possessing "any firearm or ammunition." Specifically a person "convicted in any court of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year" cannot possess any firearm in any location. 18 U.S.C. 922(g) is the federal law that prohibits anyone ever convicted of any felony to ever possess any firearm either inside or outside of his home. The federal punishment for felon gun possession is up to 10 years in prison.; Reply to this comment


by Joedupont March 20, 2013 11:25 PM EDT: Is releasing Balloons almost as bad as killing someone?

You can shoot and kill someone and be out in 8 years. Yet Anthony Brasfield may do 5 years for releasing 12 heart shaped balloons to win the heart of his girlfriend. near Fort Lauderdale.
Apparently 21 people have been arrested for this kind of "crime" which is deemed a felony! Perhaps the troopers could hang out at state and county fairs and cuff children when their balloon gets away from them!

What is this world coming to? I suggest that Mr. Brasfield and his girl friend should start to burning American flags as a political protest! I'm sure those who wrote the balloon law would commend them for such an act.. Now that would be legal! Next they will be banning 4th of July fireworks displays! Why not?; Reply to this comment


by TiredOfAllTheIgnorance March 3, 2013 11:02 AM EST: And Disney NEVER releases BALLOONS?

BS!

This police-state BS HAS TO GO!; Reply to this comment


by DebbieTinFla February 27, 2013 7:09 AM EST: So, has anyone from BP been arrested for polluting to harm humans, animals and plants under the Florida Air and Water Pollution Control Act? What was that? No, not yet??????; Reply to this comment


by rightontarget February 25, 2013 5:46 PM EST: OMG!! Well, now I know why they call it "Flori-DUH" !!; Reply to this comment

by DAGAN53 February 25, 2013 5:28 PM EST

It is good to know that all the real crime has been cleaned up in Florida so that the Police can go after the baloon felons. How does Disneyland get around this little law?

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by Donna484 March 2, 2013 4:07 PM EST: Disney most likely pays off high ranking officials, but it's the tax payer who will suffer for this terrible crime.

by proLski February 25, 2013 5:07 PM EST

obviously had nothing to do with his race.................................

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by AttyFAM February 26, 2013 8:58 PM EST: You saw what I saw in the article.


by VA_Jill February 25, 2013 4:55 PM EST: Florida has a lot more to worry about than a few balloons! Talk about lack of perspective!; Reply to this comment