Florida Man Arrested While Wearing ‘I Just Got Out Of Prison’ T-Shirt

It has been quite a year for the men and women of law enforcement in the state of Florida. Based on our own reporting of folks who were "dumber in the summer" and "failing in the fall," the Sunshine State outshone all others. As 2023 comes to a close, we found one more gem for you.

A man wearing an “I just got out of prison” t-shirt was put away again this month. Police popped him for allegedly breaking into someone else’s car and stealing a wallet. This could only have happened in Florida.

The Smoking Gun reported that Michael Gordon, 46, got in deeper trouble after refusing to identify himself to the officers. However, when his fingerprints were run through a portable scanner, Gordon was identified. As you might have guessed, he has been in the system for a while.

Michael Gordon had previously been convicted in late July for trespassing after he tried to break into a van in a St. Petersburg, Florida parking lot. His prior convictions also include burglary, prowling, and narcotics possession. That explains the “I just got out of prison” t-shirt.

Gordon pleaded no contest Wednesday to a misdemeanor obstruction charge and was sentenced to five days in custody and fined $500, according to court records. Maybe he'll get the matching shorts this time. For now, he's back in solid orange.

I'm all about personal safety. As a woman, there are just certain things I won't do. Things like pumping gas at night, rolling my window down in my car for any reason other than a drive-thru, or engaging with anyone I don't know who approaches me in places like a parking lot. Most apartment complexes won't rent first-floor apartments to women either. These are just some things guys don't have to worry about. And I wish I didn't either. But unfortunately, the world we live in makes women have to be super vigilant and aware of our surroundings. My personal safety just takes priority as it should for everyone. Even though most of the Carolinas are fairly safe, bad things can happen anywhere. But there are some places where crime is more common than others. So what are the most dangerous cities in North Carolina?

NeighborhoodScout conducted the research to answer that question. And it may not be the answer you are expecting. Their research highlighted the 100 most dangerous cities in America. These are cities with a population of 25,000 or more people. And the rankings are based on the number of violent crimes per 1,000 residents.  For the purpose of this list Neighborhood Scout considers violent crimes to be rape, armed robbery, and aggravated assault.  According to their methodology, "the data used for this research are the number of violent crimes reported to have occurred in each city, and the population of each city."

A total of 9 Carolina cities made this list. With 5 of the most dangerous cities being in North Carolina, while 4 were in South Carolina. The most dangerous city in the US overall? That was Bessemer Alabama, followed by Monroe, Louisiana. You can read the full list via Neighborhood Scout here or keep reading to see the North Carolina cities that made the list.

The Triad's Winston-Salem is the most dangerous city in North Carolina. Here there is a violent crime rate of 11.4 (per 1,000 residents) and a 1 in 87 chance of being a victim.

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Only two spots behind Winston-Salem is a city not too far away- Statesville. This Iredell county city has a violent crime rate of 11.2  and a 1 in 87 chance of being a victim.

We have to skip a few spots down the list to find the next NC city named one of the most dangerous- Fayetteville. They are doing better with just a 1 in 103 chance of being a victim and a violent crime rate of 9.7.

Three spots down from Fayetteville is Goldsboro. Goldboro brings to the table the same 1 in 103 chance of being a victim. The city barely beats Fayetteville though with an 8.6 violent crime rate.

Rocky Mount you almost squeaked by without making the list. You were so close. Your 1 in 107 chance of being a victim and 9.3 violent crime rate make you the best of the worst in North Carolina.