A store owner in Pinellas Park, Florida, was arrested last week for defying statewide “stay at home” orders. Galen Trent Wood, who runs Kitchen Tabletop Games, was taken into custody after multiple Pinellas Park residents filed complaints.
The mandated closure of any non-essential business has been in effect for weeks, but Woods remains convinced that Kitchen Tabletop Games was wrongfully targeted by local authorities. “Yesterday was just for show as far as I can tell," Wood told the Tampa Bay Times. “It’s just a show of hubris by the cops and the sheriff.”
The sheriff’s office rebukes Wood’s narrative and claims that his behavior demonstrates a blatant disregard for the state’s public safety efforts and a direct violation of previous warnings from county sheriff Bob Gueltieri, who would eventually make the arrest on Thursday evening.
Wood, who sells games and collectibles like Dungeons and Dragons and Pokémon, received warnings on five separate occasions. For each complaint issued, authorities conducted a compliance check, revealing that the store was still open. When confronted by authorities, Wood “became argumentative” and refused to close his shop. Nothing short of legal intervention was likely going to change his behavior.
Wood is now dealing with two charges of violating an emergency order but still claims that he’s done nothing unlawful by staying open. Governor Roy DeSantis released a Q&A that highlights the Dos and Don’ts of the stay-at-home mandate, which Wood uses to justify his decision to remain open for curbside pickup. “Even if it weren’t essential it’s kind of a moot point,” says Wood, referring to the guidelines from the Governor’s office. But the Q&A says nothing about curbside pickup. It says delivery is allowed but all physical locations must be closed.
After his arrest, Wood told the press that he plans to hire a lawyer and may take legal action against the sheriff’s office. Gualtieri had hoped that he wouldn’t have to resort to an arrest, but Wood left him no choice. “At the end of the day, we’ve all got to follow the law, and this guy decided he’s above the law,” said the sheriff.
