RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Attorneys have reached a settlement in a federal lawsuit filed by a man who claimed that Hopewell police violated his rights when they took him into custody for carrying guns while displaying an “Impeach Obama” sign on a highway overpass.
Officials with the Rutherford Institute, a Charlottesville-based civil liberties group that represented Brandon Howard, said Friday that the settlement includes an apology by former Hopewell police sergeant John Hunter.
Howard claimed that his 90-minute detention in August 2013 violated his free-speech rights, as well as his rights to bear arms and to be free of unreasonable search and seizure.
Howard carried an AR-15 rifle and a .380-caliber pistol during his protest. He was released without charges after being detained.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.