LAS VEGAS — A Nevada man who was caught with pistols over the weekend at a security checkpoint outside a Donald Trump rally in the southern California desert has filed a lawsuit accusing the sheriff of fraudulently misrepresenting his detention as a foiled assassination attempt for personal gain.
The man, 49-year-old Vem Miller of Las Vegas, was driving an unregistered black SUV with a “homemade” license plate when he was stopped by deputies assigned to the event in Coachella, east of Los Angeles, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said during a news conference on Sunday.
According to Bianco, Miller had a shotgun, a loaded revolver, ammo, and multiple bogus passports in his truck. Miller was released the following day on a $5,000 bail.
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Nevada, alleges that Bianco lied about the false passports and “created a narrative so as to be viewed as a ‘heroic’ Sheriff who saved Presidential candidate Trump.” The defendants are the sheriff, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, and a sheriff’s deputy.
A call to the sheriff’s executive office for comment on Wednesday was sent to the department’s communications office, which did not respond to an email. The Associated Press also emailed Miller’s attorney, Sigal Chattah, for comment.
Security at Trump rallies is extremely tight following two recent assassination attempts. Last month, a man was charged with attempted assassination after investigators said he followed the former president for 12 hours and wrote about wanting to kill him. The Florida arrest came two months after Trump was shot and injured in the ear at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.
Bianco stated that Miller also claimed to be a journalist, although it was unclear whether he had the necessary credentials. Deputies noticed the interior of the vehicle was “in disarray,” and a search revealed the firearms and ammunition, as well as various passports and driver licenses with different identities, Bianco added.
Miller’s lawsuit claims the sheriff’s department illegally searched the SUV. It further claims that he readily told officials at the checkpoint that he had guns but planned to leave them in the vehicle.
Miller is set to appear in court in January for the firearms case. He was arrested on suspicion of having a loaded pistol and a high-capacity magazine, according to online records.
Source: A man arrested with guns outside a Trump rally in California is suing the sheriff
