Black salesman knocks on Florida couple’s door to sell solar panels. Then they allegedly threaten to hang him: ‘I was afraid for my life’
A man's routine door-to-door selling allegedly ended with threats and racist slurs hurled at him.
A salesman’s routine work devolved into chaos when his visit to a couple’s home in Florida ended with racial slurs and his life allegedly being threatened after attempting to sell solar panels. The incident, which went viral, ended with the couple being sentenced to probation.
The incident began in July 2025 when Antavis Johnson knocked on the door of Steven Wiley and Cheryl Pyle’s home in Orange County, Florida. FOX 35 reported that Johnson was selling solar panels, but when Wiley and Pyle answered the door, the couple allegedly started a racist tirade and made derogatory remarks against the salesman.
Johnson claimed that Wiley and Pyle chased him off their property, repeatedly giving him the middle finger, and began threatening his life. “Go and take you Black a** out of here, motherf*****,” Wiley can be heard saying in the video. He later added, “I’ll f****** hang your a** now.”
Salesman left scared after being threatened
Wiley and Pyle, however, claimed they told Johnson they weren’t interested in the solar panels and alleged that Johnson responded by cursing at them and raising his middle finger. Johnson reportedly denied these allegations but acknowledged that there was a “no soliciting” sign displayed at the home.
Wiley and Pyle later filed a report with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, claiming they had received threatening phone calls and messages from strangers as a result of Johnson’s viral video that gained hundreds of thousands of views before it was taken down. However, an officer reportedly noted that Wiley repeatedly made “multiple racially charged statements” and was “uncooperative” during the investigation of the report.
On the other hand, the sudden turn of events at the time reportedly left Johnson fearing for his well-being. “I had my binder, had the notice, but before I was able to pull out my notice, she called her husband down, and that’s when everything just turned left,” Johnson told the outlet. “I just pulled my phone out, […] I was afraid for my life. Like I was so scared.”
Florida couple argued they have free speech
A year after the incident, Wiley and Pyle were convicted of hate crime assault, according to the State Attorney’s Office for the 9th Judicial Circuit on Oct. 7. Prosecutors reportedly requested jail time for the couple, but a judge ruled that they will serve probation and take anger management classes instead.
Wiley and Pyle’s defense argued that their actions were protected by the First Amendment’s free speech. However, the Florida couple’s use of offensive language and following Johnson while threatening bodily harm went beyond the boundaries of what is considered protected speech under the law and into criminal territory, State Attorney Monique Worrell said. “Verbal attacks rooted in hate and prejudice can escalate into threats, intimidation, and ultimately into physical violence,” Worrell added.
Although the case has concluded, Johnson said the ruling did not ease his concerns and that he now feels unsafe with Wiley and Pyle out of jail. “I still have to live with this trauma from having PTSD, bad anxiety breakouts,” Johnson told FOX 35.
Meanwhile, the First Amendment’s free speech allows individuals to express their opinions, ideas, and thoughts, whether verbally, in writing, or through media, without government censorship. While “hate speech” is not legally defined in the U.S., speech considered intimidation or true threats, and speech that instigates unlawful behavior, are unprotected by this law.
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