Denver, CO—It was during the Democratic National Convention when a Wyoming businessman and African hunter Joseph Calanchini was simply trying to check into a hotel. He was abruptly kidnapped, robbed and internationally humiliated by the Denver Police Department. You can read the original story here.A concerned hotel employee called police and reported that fact that his luggage included a rifle case. Police detained Calanchini,searched him, his possessions and arrested him despite the fact he broke no laws. They took him off to jail and charged him with violating some gun laws anyway.
The seized his property including his lawfully owned firearms and have never returned it to date. Prosecutors have ended Calanchini’s Orwellian nightmare after police failed to produce evidence for prosecution.
Now it’s time for Calanchini to have his lawyer make a demand for money to compensate him for the violation of civil rights, kidnapping, interruption of business and for doing grievous injury to his reputation.
The taxpayers in Denver need to learn the hard way they have elected and allowed the appointment of rogue public officials. Perhaps they can afford the $10 or 20 million Calanchini deserves for his trouble.
Comments
There should also be a criminal kidnapping indictment for the officials involved in this crime.
I don't understand how any police officer could justify making an arrest unless he knew for a fact that the offender was violating a law. Am I missing something here? How is a rifle, locked in a case, considered a concealed weapon? In addition to the lawsuit against the authorities, he should also include the hotel, who were the ones responsible for notifying them in the first place.
September 16, 2008 5:37 PM
I can.Look at what they hire nowdays.Look at what runs PDs today.Its frightening.
September 18, 2008 9:06 PM
What is surprising to me is that in the last decade or so, most police departments changed their hiring requirements to include college degrees. Unfortunately, it seems that the more college educated officers there are, the more stupid stuff is done by these so called "educated" officers. No thanks. Give me an honest, hard working cop with a high school diploma who had previous work and military experience instead of some goof who spent four years partying in some college dorm.
What would have been the harm of simplt asking him what the weapons were for? he had them, Locked in a case, with him to get serviced and prepared for an African Saffari. But noone even thought to ask, thay just jumped, snatched, and arrested an innocent man getting ready for vacation.
I think he deserves a public appology at very least for being portrayed to the nation as a potential terrorist!