A Florida sheriff is taking a disturbing approach in trying to shut down legislation for open carry laws: He’s warning that Americans who exercise their constitutional right to lawfully carry a firearm are more likely to be shot by police.

Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri is taking a hard stance against legislation on track to make open carry a viable option in the state despite support from the Florida Police Chiefs Association and other law enforcement groups.

Gualtieri calls the prospect of Floridians open-carrying as fundamentally dangerous.

“At a minimum, they’re going to be thrown down on the ground with a gun pointed at them — or worse,” the sheriff said of how he believes officers would react to open carriers when responding to a call.

Gualtieri also added that an armed citizen who attempts to stop a crime better hope that there are no officers nearby because “he’s going to take one in the chest because he’s a threat.”

In a blog post, firearm enthusiast Lee Williams — aka The Gun Writer — called Gualtieri’s statements exactly what they are: a threat that his deputies will retaliate against law-abiding gun owners if the legislation is successful.

From the post:

A county sheriff who’s threatening to shoot his constituents for exercising their Second Amendment rights is a worrisome situation, one which I hope gets whispered into the ear of Gov. Rick Scott. The governor needs to take swift action now, before a law abiding Pinellas County resident is “thrown down on the ground with a gun pointed at them — or worse.” The sheriff’s statements constitute official sanction for his deputies to use excessive force — or even deadly force — on gun owners. And quite frankly, that should scare the hell out of everyone who lives in Pinellas County, regardless of whether they own or carry a gun.

Currently, open carry with or without a permit is legal in all but six U.S. states: California, Florida, Illinois, New York, South Carolina and Texas.

Learn more about your state’s gun laws here.