Sheriff Rutherford responds to 'Purge' rumors

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – News4Jax has been flooded with emails and phone calls regarding a social media post circulating indicating that there will be a Jacksonville "Purge" happening on August 31, much like the movie, "The Purge," where laws are suspended and criminals are free to commit crimes.

The rumors were so prominent that Jacksonville Sheriff John Rutherford released a statement Wednesday afternoon in response to the social media posts.

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"We are aware of The Purge posting (based on the fiction contained in a movie) and are looking into this. Obviously, we will not discuss tactics, but as with any perceived threat, we appreciate the assistance of the public in passing that along to us," Rutherford said.

His statement goes on to say, "At this time we have no credible information to indicate that this is a legitimate threat to the city of Jacksonville."

Read Sheriff Rutherford's full statement


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