Boston Man Detained for Placing Stickers on Teslas, Musk Reacts | Carscoops

      The suspect asserts that his actions are protected by free speech rights, but the Brookline police have charged him regardless.

      Tesla owners alerted the police about a man who was putting Elon Musk stickers on their vehicles. Officers located the individual and charged him with defacing property a few days later. The suspect contends that his right to free speech allows him to place the stickers on the cars.

      Over the weekend, police in Massachusetts received reports of someone applying stickers to cars in the Boston suburb of Brookline. However, these were not ordinary decals like "I Love My Prius"; instead, they depicted an image of Elon Musk making a gesture perceived by some as a Nazi salute, specifically targeting Tesla vehicles.

      The police have now identified and charged the suspect with defacing property, while the suspect maintains that he is exercising his First Amendment rights by putting up the stickers.

      At least one Tesla owner filmed his encounter with the man. In the brief video, the individual, who is stationary on a bicycle, responds to the owner’s question, “Why do you think you have the right to do that?” with, “It’s my free speech.”

      The Tesla owner took this footage to the police, who subsequently shared it online in search of tips regarding the suspect’s identity. They announced on Wednesday that they had found the individual and cited him for six counts of defacing property.

      Though we don’t claim to be legal experts, it will be intriguing to observe the outcome of this case. While stickers do not inherently qualify as free speech, it is important to note that bumper stickers are generally protected under the First Amendment, assuming the individual is the car's owner.

      Notably, Tesla CEO Elon Musk commented on the situation after the Brookline Police Department tweeted about it, stating, "Damaging the property of others, aka vandalism, is not free speech!" This remark raises an interesting point, although it’s likely that Musk’s interpretation of “free speech” varies when it pertains to issues he disagrees with.

      In a 1991 case, an Alabama court overturned the conviction of a man who displayed what some considered an obscene bumper sticker, asserting it was protected due to its “serious literary and political value.”

      It remains to be seen if the same standard would apply if the sticker was applied by someone else. Would the situation change if the suspect had merely attached a note, advertisement, or photo to the vehicle? Only time will tell. The Brookline police booked Randall and set his bail at $2,500.

      In the context of recent crimes against Teslas and their owners, this incident was relatively minor, in contrast to several others involving significant damage. Instead, it involved a man riding his bike, expressing his opinions—regardless of whether anyone welcomed them.