A man arrested for over possession of guns outside former President Donald Trump‘s recent California rally has sued local law enforcement for defamation and demanded that at least one officer immediately be fired.
Vem Miller, 49, was arrested on Saturday after firearms were found in his car outside of a Trump rally in Coachella Valley. Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco later said that the arrest had “probably stopped another assassination attempt on the former president.
Miller, a registered Republican from Nevada who describes himself as a staunch Trump supporter, sued Bianco for defamation in federal court on Tuesday and demanded the termination of an officer referred to as “Deputy Coronado,” according to The Desert Sun.
Coronado is reportedly accused of conducting “an unlawful and unconstitutional search” after Miller told authorities that it contained weapons at a checkpoint near the rally on Saturday. Miller says that he never had any intention of harming Trump or using the weapons at the rally.
“The evidence will establish that the officers were trained to act in precisely the manner they acted and, thus, were trained to do precisely the wrong thing,” the lawsuit reads.
“If the officers had been properly trained in the fundamental principles of search and seizure and safekeeping private information, this incident would not have happened,” it continues.
Former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Coachella Valley, California, on October 12. The Trump supporter who was arrested on gun charges outside the rally sued local police for defamation.
Mario Tama
The suit accuses Bianco of making “preposterous allegations against Miller, holding press conferences perpetuating his delusional and false narrative” despite “being notified by both United States Secret Service and Federal Bureau of Investigation that they did not believe Miller was a threat and declined to interview him.”
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office told Newsweek that they “acknowledge the lawsuit” and “take such matters seriously” but could not comment “on the specifics” due to the litigation’s “pending” nature.
“We are committed to transparency and will cooperate fully with the legal process,” they added. “Our priority remains the safety and well-being of the community we serve.”
Miller told CBS News earlier this week that he believes his “life is in danger” due to Bianco’s allegation that he was planning to assassinate Trump. He also detailed his dedication to the ex-president and said that he previously had many opportunities to “reach out and touch” Trump.
“I’ve been at over 20-plus events with Trump, some private where, literally, I could, like, reach out and touch the president,” Miller said. “I’ve had conversations with Trump’s sons.”
Miller, who was released on $5,000 bail on Saturday, is part of the right-wing “sovereign citizen” movement and said that he took the weapons to the Coachella rally for his protection and had forgotten about gun laws in California.
Mindy Robinson, host of the Conspiracy Truth podcast and friend and business partner of Miller, previously told Newsweek that she believes that police acted “hysterically” by arresting Miller.
“The fact he’s out on $5,000 bail proves they know he’s not a threat,” Robinson said. “They’re just mad they’re about to have a lot of egg on their face for running with this as hysterically as they did.”
“Apparently, authorities spent zero time going through his socials, or they’d realize he was both a Trump supporter and an investigator that does a lot of anti-government corruption work,” she added.
