A British IT consultant was arrested and interrogated for four hours after posting a LinkedIn photo of himself at a U.S. shooting range—clad in a “Guns & God” shirt blasting clay pigeons.
The incident has sparked fury over the UK’s draconian speech laws that criminalize even images of legal firearm use abroad.
The viral snapshot shows the man mid-shot by a lily-pad pond, grinning with ear protection and a Remington 870, embodying American Second Amendment joy—but in the UK, it triggered police action under the Online Safety Act for “glorifying violence.”
The post, depicting the consultant firing at clay pigeons over serene waters in Florida, drew millions of views celebrating U.S. liberty. But in the UK, it led to a dawn raid. Officers from Greater Manchester Police arrested him for possessing an image “likely to encourage or assist” serious violence, per The Telegraph’s report.
Jon Richelieu-Booth, a 50-year-old father of two, told The Telegraph, “It was utterly absurd. I was just sharing a fun day out with friends at a shooting range in America. I didn’t think posting a photo of me legally using a gun would land me in handcuffs at 6 a.m.”
He described the subsequent night in a cell and interrogation at the hands of UK police, noting “They grilled me for four hours about whether I was planning anything violent. I explained it was a legal sport, but they seemed more interested in the gun than the context.”
Later released without charge but warned against “similar posts,” he fumed “This is what free speech looks like in Britain now—post a photo from a holiday, and you’re a suspect.”
The case, logged under Section 58 of the Terrorism Act for “collection of information useful to terrorists,” has gone viral after Elon Musk shared the post, noting “UK: Where liking a post can get you arrested, but actual riots get a pass.”
“I was told to be careful what I say online and I need to understand how it makes people feel,” Richelieu-Booth said, adding that police have since visited him at home another three times and charged him with a public offence order over another post.
This arrest exemplifies Britain’s speech gulag, where 10,000 were arrested last year for “offensive” online content under vague laws like the Communications Act and Online Safety Act.
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