PHOTO VIA JAMES HOUCHINS FACEBOOK PAGE
11/25 UPDATE: A judge released the two men 24 hours after their arrest, on their own recognizance, reducing the charges to misdemeanors, according to a report by News 6.
Two men were arrested after troopers said they chalked the word “resist” on the recently painted-over Pulse memorial crosswalk in Orlando. The incident happened on November 23 after Florida Highway Patrol troopers were alerted to the vandalism by the Florida Department of Transportation (which has been keeping an eye on the site).
According to the arrest report, the men were identified as Austin “Bubba” Trahan and James Houchins. They were found at a nearby Dunkin’ Donuts location and matched descriptions seen on surveillance video. Troopers said both admitted to chalking the area but claimed they had only marked the sidewalk, not the roadway.
FDOT considers the crosswalk a traffic-control device, and chalking it is treated as defacement under state law. Troopers say that designation gave them grounds for arrest, even though the markings were temporary.
The Pulse crosswalk has been a frequent site of protests since the state removed its rainbow colors earlier this year. Activists have repeatedly chalked messages and artwork in the area, and several prior arrests have centered on the same dispute over whether chalk constitutes vandalism.
Prosecutors will now decide whether to formally pursue charges against Trahan and Houchins.
