Man wearing bulletproof vest, carrying rifle, accused of possessing narcotics

Accused: Damien Kennedy was charged with possession of MDMA, commonly known as Ecstacy. (Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office)

OKALOOSA COUNTY, Fla. — A Florida man wearing a bulletproof vest and carrying a disassembled rifle in a bag is accused of possessing narcotics, authorities said.

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According to a news release from the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, Damien Kennedy, 39, of Fort Walton Beach, was arrested and charged with trafficking in MDMA, commonly known as Ecstasy, and possession of a bulletproof vest during certain offenses.

The sheriff’s office said that Kennedy was having a “consensual” conversation with a deputy on Tuesday at about 11:45 p.m. CDT, WKRG-TV reported.

Kennedy reportedly told the deputy that he was carrying an “AR-15-style rifle” in a green military laundry style bag, according to WEAR-TV.

According to the sheriff’s office, Kennedy consented to allow the deputy to search it. The deputy found “numerous multicolored pills” in a small, clear plastic bag that the suspect admitted was Ecstacy.

Sixty grams of narcotics were found in Kennedy’s possession, according to WKRG.

The law enforcement official also found a disassembled rifle that Kennedy allegedly said he was carrying “for his safety,” the sheriff’s office said.

Kennedy was arrested and booked into the Okaloosa County Jail, WEAR reported. He remains in jail, with bial set at $65,000.

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