On Friday March 1, 2024, our neighbor and an 18-year-old political activist, Joshua Epstein, was arrested for simply filming a disturbing altercation involving Vice Mayor Rose, his family, and a neighbor in Surfside.

View the WSVN report: https://wsvn.com/news/local/miami-dade/18-year-old-arrested-accused-of-pushing-surfside-vice-mayor-teens-mother-says-he-never-did-anything/

While documenting the incident, Joshua was accused of pushing Vice Mayor Rose, despite multiple witnesses confirming that never happened. Instead of conducting a thorough investigation and gathering testimony from all witnesses, the Surfside Police Department hastily arrested Joshua on the way to the pool, solely based on the Vice Mayor's claim and one biased witness.

Multiple residents witnessed Jeff Rose’s aggression, and have come forward to dispute Jeff Rose’s account. But Surfside’s police did not take the time to investigate before making the arrest.

This is the kind of stuff we see in countries like Russia and North Korea, and now Surfside. Joshua and his mother have been outspoken critics of this commission, and the town's actions are clear cut retaliation, abuse of power and intimidation. 

It's unacceptable. 

This arrest was politically charged, an abuse of power and a blatant disregard for justice. It's time to prioritize truth & fairness over political influence. This commission has relentlessly silenced opposing voices, & Vice Mayor Rose's actions have crossed a significant line.

According to Supreme Court case Lozman v Riviera Beach, the ruling stated, "Arrests made in retaliation for the exercise of First Amendment rights are a particularly chilling form of governmental response to constitutionally protected but officially disfavored speech."

Retaliatory arrests not only silence the individual in question, but also send the message to others in the community that expression of disfavored views may result in being taken into law enforcement custody,” attorneys for both the petitioner and respondent wrote.

The concerned citizens of Surfside stand with Joshua.

We are demanding accountability from the authorities, including the resignation of Town Manager Hector Gomez, who approved the plan, Chief Antonio Marciante, who should have conducted a more thorough investigation before making an arrest, Surfside Town Attorneys Lillian M. Arango and Anthony L. Recio from Weiss Serota Helfman Cole + Bierman, who should have offered better legal advice, and Vice Mayor Jeff Rose. We demand that he drop charges against Joshua Epstein, and resign from his position for bringing disgrace upon public office and Surfside.

Finally, we insist on a thorough independent investigation, which should include an examination of the charges against Vice Mayor Rose for allegedly providing false information to the Surfside Police, as outlined in section 837.05 of the Florida Statutes (which is illegal).

Additionally, his role as the instigator of the altercation should be thoroughly examined.