Military Flag Display Controversy: 'Let Them Fly,' Jacksonville Mayor Says After Outrage

A Florida business, which was recently cited for flying military flags on the roof, can continue doing so, reports said Tuesday after a viral video from the employee went viral. Employees at Jaguar Power Sports said an inspector with the city of Jacksonville issued a citation over the flags, saying they were in violation of city code.

Two United States flags, a Jacksonville Jaguars flag and flags representing each branch of the military were on the roof of the business. In a video, the manager at Jaguar Power Sports said a city employee, identified as Melinda Power, stopped by the store to issue a citation. The manager also said the official disrespected a customer, who was upset because he was a veteran. This incident was also caught on surveillance footage.

“She says, ‘What did you do for this country?’ He says, ‘I took three bullets to the leg. I almost lost my life for this country. I’m retired. I’m a veteran.’ She gets in his face this close and says, ‘You did nothing for this country,” Jaguar Power Sports employee Katie Klasse reportedly said.

The veteran, who reportedly got into a heated argument with the city inspector, spoke with Action News Jax about how upset he was over the incident but added he did not want the city employee to be fired.

“I think there should be some serious reprimand to her,” he reportedly said. “She needs to apologize to the veteran community, and to every American who supports us.”

The video detailing the incident was posted on Facebook and had over 8 million views at the time of publishing this story.

After the video went viral, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said on Twitter the city dropped the citations.

Curry’s chief of staff, Brian Hughes, issued a statement on the incident.

“We are disturbed by some of the claims made about a city employee and are reviewing the facts,” according to the statement. “We are also reviewing the current ordinances regarding flags and signs to ensure accurate information was shared. The business was issued a warning and was not fined.

“Warnings are issued to provide property owners information about a possible violation, and corrective action," it added. “I have contacted the dealership and provided the owner with the mayor’s contact information for them to discuss directly... Mayor Curry and his administration respect and appreciate those in uniform who have served and continue to serve our community, and our country.”

The store later posted another video to its Facebook page thanking everyone for supporting them.