That may be the case in a lot of instances. I can tell you, though, that none of this was planned. I didn't even plan to go to inquire about a meeting that day, it just seemed like a convenient time. I never imagined they could or would arrest me (I was foolishly under the impression I had the right to freedom of speech). This entire ordeal has been more than I ever expected.
Here's a news article, btw:
http://www.rrstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060414/NEWS0107/104140041
RVC student, gun-rights activist, sues college over arrest
By Jeff Kolkey
Rockford Register Star
ROCKFORD — A Rock Valley College student who says college police officers wrongfully arrested him is suing the community college for violating his civil rights and asking a federal judge to award him more than $1.3 million in damages.
A gun rights activist who founded ICARRY.org, Shaun A. Kranish, 20, said he was arrested for disorderly conduct in October after he approached college officials to discuss its weapons policies which prohibits guns on campus.
The disorderly conduct charge in December was dismissed in a Winnebago County courtroom.
Kranish said he was wearing his ICARRY.org jacket and carrying an empty nylon gun holster to symbolizing the disarmament of Illinois residents and the state’s erosion of Second Amendment rights.
“When you set up a gun-free zone, what you are doing is creating a criminal friendly zone or victim disarmament zone,” Kranish said. “You are encouraging bad guys to commit crimes there because they know, they won’t meet resistance.”
In his federal lawsuit filed April 7, Kranish said he was improperly searched, his jacket and empty holster seized, wrongfully arrested, and defamed.
Rock Valley College attorney Peter Kostantacos said the lawsuit is without merit.
“He got arrested because they were afraid he was carrying a gun,” Kostantacos said. “He has a strong belief and he was trying to demonstrate it, and in this instance I think he went about it in the wrong way.”
Staff writer Jeff Kolkey can be reached at 815-987-1374 or
[email protected].
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The only problem with it is the UNTRUTHFUL statements at the end. First off, this isn't some joke frivolous lawsuit without merit. I've never sued someone before, and never planned on it. There was no way in the world I could let them get away with all that they did to me. This is the real deal.
Second, they did NOT arrest me because they were worried I had a gun. The very first thing they did was determine (by way of illegal search I might add) that I was completely unarmed. It was over an hour later that they put me under arrest and brought a false charge against me. For them to try to make it sound like there was any concern at all that I may be armed OR that the police thought so is a complete lie.
Lastly, he doesn't agree with how I went about demonstrating my strong belief? So...I break NO school rule, I offend NO person, and break NO state law, I POLITELY ask to speak with someone, but I'm "going about it the wrong way"? And the punishment for "going about it the wrong way"? UNWARRANTED SEARCH, SEIZURE, ARREST, CRIMINAL CHARGES, and SUPPRESSION OF COUNTLESS RIGHTS. This is oppression, people, plain and simple. I knew Illinois was bad, but this is just outrageous.