Sheriff Who Threatened ‘No Kings’ Protesters With ‘We Will Kill You Graveyard Dead’ Just Opened a Can of Worms on Himself

Ivey, who has long styled himself as a “constitutional sheriff,” declared that any protesters who engaged in violence would be killed “graveyard dead,” a remark that quickly went viral—drawing enthusiastic applause from supporters of President Donald Trump and widespread condemnation from civil rights advocates, political commentators and legal experts.

Ivey’s remarks came ahead of nationwide protests organized under the banner of “No Kings,” a movement opposing the overreach of law enforcement and immigration enforcement agencies like ICE.

The comments sparked an immediate backlash, with MSNBC host Jonathan Capehart and authoritarianism scholar Ruth Ben-Ghiat criticizing the sheriff’s language as not only dangerous, but emblematic of a broader erosion of democratic norms in law enforcement.

“When protesters are criminalized and called insurrectionists, then all protest is viewed as a threat,” Ben-Ghiat remarked. “This rhetoric reflects the mindset of authoritarian strongmen who equate dissent with treason and justify violence in the name of order.”

Now, A Troubling History of Allegations and Abuse of Power Comes to Light

The sheriff’s incendiary language has also reignited scrutiny over his checkered past, which includes allegations of corruption, racial profiling, excessive force and misuse of power spanning nearly a decade.

In 2018, Sheriff Ivey was sued by Lee Edward Anderson, a Black man who alleged that he was the victim of racial profiling, false arrest and imprisonment during a late-night traffic stop, Click Orlando reported.

Anderson was accused of drug possession, but the charges were dropped after bodycam footage showed he had no drugs in his possession. The deputy involved later resigned, and the incident became a flashpoint for discussions about systemic racism within the department.

That same year, 37-year-old Gregory Edwards, a combat veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, died while strapped in a restraint chair at the Brevard County Jail. Edwards had been violently subdued after an altercation during his arrest.

Sheriff Ivey’s office faced accusations of attempting to suppress video evidence and minimize public scrutiny. Although a federal judge later ruled that jail staff had not violated Edwards’ constitutional rights, the case remains a source of public distrust and outrage.

In 2019, Ivey’s name surfaced in a federal indictment involving Pennsylvania businessman Donald Donagher, who sought to secure a countywide debt collection contract for his company, Penn Credit Corporation. According to court documents, Donagher donated $15,500 to Brevard County charities at Ivey’s request.

Prosecutors alleged this was part of a broader scheme to curry favor and facilitate bribes to three Florida clerks of court. Donagher later took a plea deal and agreed to pay a $225,000 fine. While Ivey was not charged, his involvement raised ethical questions about the use of charitable donations to influence government contracts.

The following year, Brevard County saw five fatal officer-involved shootings, including the deaths of two teenagers during a traffic stop. The sheriff’s office was criticized for refusing to release key information to the families and delaying the return of the teens’ bodies. No criminal charges were filed against the deputy involved, who had a documented history of violent encounters.

In 2020, Ivey faced a defamation lawsuit from David Austin Gay, who accused the sheriff of mistakenly featuring him on the department’s “Wheel of Fugitive” video series.

Gay alleged the error cost him his job and caused emotional distress. Although the case was eventually dismissed, it painted concerns about Ivey’s aggressive and, at times, reckless use of media to target alleged offenders.

The controversies continued into the 2022 election cycle, when Ivey was accused of attempting to influence local races by offering political appointments in exchange for withdrawal from candidacy.

Two military veterans running for County Commission and School Board, both with law enforcement experience, alleged that Ivey approached them with offers of positions paying up to $50,000 annually if they dropped out. Both candidates declined and later spoke publicly about the offers, raising serious concerns about election interference and abuse of office.

Sheriff Ivey’s long record of inflammatory statements, legal entanglements and controversial policing tactics has made him a divisive figure in Florida politics. His supporters hail him as a tough-on-crime conservative who defends law and order without compromise.

However, critics see a dangerous demagogue who uses the power of his office to intimidate dissenters, sidestep accountability, and promote an authoritarian vision of justice.

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As Ruth Ben-Ghiat noted in her MSNBC interview, “This kind of talk trickles down from a broader cultural acceptance of lawlessness among those in power. When law enforcement leaders mirror the rhetoric of strongmen—treating protest as rebellion and resistance as treason—they erode the democratic principles they claim to defend.”

With mounting public scrutiny, legal questions lingering and a national spotlight shining once more on Brevard County, Sheriff Wayne Ivey’s legacy may ultimately be defined not by his self-proclaimed constitutionalism, but by the growing number of allegations and controversies he has left in his wake.