The attorneys for a Pensacola man seen in viral video riding on the hood of a car during a June protest have released a statement after his arrest, disputing the account that led to charges against him.
Jason Uphaus was part of a demonstration that blocked the Pensacola Bay Bridge when, according to police, a vehicle drove into the crowd. Newly released video shows officers directing drivers to make a U-turn, but one vehicle continued toward the protesters before crossing the bridge into Gulf Breeze — with Uphaus seen on its hood.
Pensacola police charged Uphaus with disorderly conduct and criminal mischief following his Thursday morning arrest. The driver of the car has not been charged.
In a statement, attorneys Chris Klotz and Eric Stevenson of Stevenson Klotz Law Firm described their client as part of a peaceful protest they say was interrupted by a driver who ignored an officer’s directions and drove into a crowd of people.
The attorneys criticized the timing and manner of the arrest, noting nearly a month passed before charges were filed and saying law enforcement did not wait the 24 hours they expected for Uphaus — a single father — to arrange childcare before voluntarily surrendering on what they called a minor misdemeanor. Instead, they said, he was taken from his home in front of his young child and transported to jail.
“We look forward to trying this case, telling the whole story of what happened on the bridge, showing the reckless and callous history of the driver, and getting justice for Mr. Uphaus,” the statement read, adding that the firm would have more to say in the coming days.