What’s In Store For Martin Hyde After Threatening Cop Who Ticketed Him? We Don’t Know Yet

SARASOTA, FL — Less than a week after Republican congressional candidate Martin Hyde made national headlines for threatening to end a Sarasota police officer’s career over traffic tickets, his campaign has gone dark on social media.

In police bodycam footage from the Feb. 14 traffic stop, Hyde can be seen telling the Officer Julia Beskin, who pulled him over for speeding and texting while driving in the area of Euclid Avenue and Fruitville Road, that she’s “making career decisions."

Hyde also told her, "Go call the chief. Tell him how rude you've just been to me. Play him this (bodycam) video. Then call (City Manager) Marlon Brown. Then you call the mayor."

Hyde later apologized to the officer, in person and on his Facebook page, for being “belligerent and rude” and paid the three tickets he received.

The story and the bodycam footage from the traffic stop has since gone viral. And Hyde, who is challenging U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, a Republican, for his District 16 seat, has taken down his campaign’s Facebook page — which was called “Sarasota citizen Martin Hyde.” He’s also set his official campaign Instagram page to private. Even his LinkedIn profile has been removed.

While Hyde's campaign website still stands, certain parts of it aren’t working Friday. Visitors who try clicking on the “store” or “donate” buttons or his campaign email address in the “contact” section on the site will get an error message.

Patch has also learned that Hyde hasn’t filed the necessary paperwork to run in the District 16 race, yet.

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“At this time, Martin Hyde has not filed to run for office,” said Mallory Morgan, press secretary for the Florida Department of State.

Buchanan, the incumbent, and a Democratic challenger, Jan Schneider, have already qualified to run for the House seat. If Hyde files, he’d face Buchanan in the Aug. 23 Republican primary. He announced his candidacy last March.

A second qualifying period for U.S. Senate and House, and other Florida races formally begins on June 13, Morgan said. This qualifying period runs through June 17, according to the state website, and Hyde still has the opportunity to file to run in the District 16 race during this time. A full list of candidates running for U.S. Senate or House seats in Florida can be found here.

Hyde did not respond to emails from Patch about whether he intends to file to run for the U.S. House of Representatives and continue his campaign.

He penned an opinion piece apologizing for the incident for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. In his bio at the end of his apology, Hyde is described as "a former Republican Party candidate for Florida’s 16th Congressional District." It's unknown whether he or the publication wrote that bio.

Watch Hyde’s full traffic stop in Sarasota below: