VALDOSTA, Ga. (WALB) — The Valdosta Police Department is addressing an arrest it says is being inaccurately reported in social media posts.

Officers responded to a noise complaint in the 2800 block of North Ashley Street near Rent-A-Wheel on Oct. 13, 2026.

Reports indicated a man was using a megaphone to speak loudly in the area. The officers observed the speech could be heard 650 feet away, violating Valdosta’s 450-foot noise ordinance for commercial areas.

VPD said the man was told he could continue to speak, just at a lower volume to comply with the noise ordinance. Officers said the man refused to lower the volume, and the officers could issue him a summons.

“We understand that the public perception circulating on social media is that this individual was arrested for exercising his First Amendment rights. However, that narrative does not accurately reflect the facts of what occurred. Officers explained several times that their contact with him was not because of what he was saying but only based on the volume at which he was being heard by citizens. He made it clear he would not abide by the ordinance and told officers to give him a summons. He could have been released on the scene with a summons; instead, he refused to cooperate by not providing officers with his identification needed to complete the summons, resulting in his arrest. The issue was never the message that he was expressing, but his failure to comply with the lawful process that officers were attempting to follow.”

When police tried to write the summons, the man refused to identify himself, escalating the situation to an arrestable offense. A VPD supervisor attempted to get the man’s identification and de-escalate the situation, according to investigators. The man refused, resulting in his arrest.

The unidentified man was taken to the Lowndes County Jail and issued a municipal court summons for violating city ordinances 42-31, persistent and excessive noises, and 70-2, interfering with officers.

Have a news tip or see an error that needs correction? Let us know. Please include the article’s headline in your message.

To stay up to date on all the latest news as it develops, follow WALB on Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and X. For more south Georgia news, download the WALB News app and add WALB as a preferred source on Google.

Copyright 2026 WALB. All rights reserved.