Thread: Fed-Up NY Man Sets Up Hidden Camera to Find Out Who Was Repeatedly Stealing His Pro-G

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Fed-Up NY Man Sets Up Hidden Camera to Find Out Who Was Repeatedly Stealing His Pro-Gun Sign – What He Discovered Blew Him Away

Sep. 23, 2013 11:03pm Jason Howerton


UPDATE: Meet the Man Who Caught Cop on Camera Forcibly Removing His Pro-Gun Sign…and Why His Attorney Says It Could Be a ‘Really Big Deal’
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A man in Somers, N.Y., hatched a plan to catch the individual responsible for allegedly stealing his pro-gun signs repeatedly from his front yard. He bought a trail cam, set it up near the sign — and then waited.
When he learned that his sign had been taken yet again, he was elated because he knew he had finally caught the person responsible on camera.
He just didn’t expect that person to be a uniformed police officer.
Assuming the photos are entirely authentic, a police officer with the Somers Police Department appears to have been caught on camera ripping the sign, which reads: “Protect the Second Amendment,” from the man’s front yard. It wasn’t immediately clear if the police officer had removed the sign previously too or if the action was ordered by Somers PD.
TheBlaze has left messages with the Somers Police Department as well as the man who claims his signs were removed from his property on multiple occasions.
Here’s the photo evidence, which the man posted on the pro-gun forum NYFirearms.com on Monday (also notice the timestamps of the photos):
(NYFirearms.com)

(NYFirearms.com)

(NYFirearms.com)


The man, who TheBlaze has been unable to contact so far, goes by the username “thecelt” on the forum. He explained exactly how the situation developed in a series of posts:

I sent an extra $20 donation to scopeny and they give you a repeal the safe act sign… I put it up and one scumbag neighbor called the town building inspector to complain. I got a letter for being in violation of a town code. As per advice on this forum from nyshooter I could fight it on grounds of my 1st amendment rights… so I called the town BI and after telling him ill fight it in court he asked what kind of sign it was so I said a pro2a sign so he said leave it up. A week or so later he called me back because the [neighbor] cried again and I said that I’m leaving it up. A day or so later my sign went missing…So I wanted to buy a trail cam first so I could catch the thief and press charges(can’t justify spending the money on one yet) before putting up another sign but I decided to make a sign of my own with plywood and I’m going to drive a couple 2×4 stakes in the ground so someone would have to really work to remove it.. here is a picture of the sign… tomorrow ill get a pic of it installed. Btw the stencils took quite a while to make and I rushed the paint work because I didn’t want to wait for one side to dry filly before doing the back side (both sides are the same)

One can understand why he first thought one of his neighbors, who was clearly against his Second Amendment sign and underlying message supporting the repeal New York’s so-called SAFE Act, was responsible.
But after setting up his camera, which he reportedly bought with the help of donations from fellow members on NYFirearms.com, the man learned that a police officer had taken his sign — at least on this occasion.
“Very strange turn of events…and im not quite sure where to go with this now,” he wrote. “[It's] the freaking SOMERS PD.”
(NYFirearms.com)


It is entirely possible that the Somers Police Department had the “legal” right to remove the sign, though many on the forum say the man’s constitutional right to free speech was violated regardless.
As the man who posted the photos points out: “this is my property, although i have to find out if the town claims any rights to property on the edge of the road as this was about 4-5′ in from the edge of the roadway.” He also admitted that he was instructed to remove the sign once by the town’s building inspector, though he claims he ultimately was told he could leave it up.
In his final post on Monday, “thecelt” said he was seeking legal advice before taking any action or notifying the police department.
However, he also said he was “highly offended my constitutional rights are being violated and i certainly expect some action to be taken.”

Featured image via NYFirearms.com. This story has been updated.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013...blew-him-away/

Meet the Man Who Caught Cop on Camera Forcibly Removing His Pro-Gun Sign…and Why His Attorney Says It Could Be a ‘Really Big Deal’

Sep. 24, 2013 2:21pm Jason Howerton

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• exclusive

The man who caught a police officer on camera removing his pro-Second Amendment sign from his front yard says his “First Amendment rights are being stifled” — and he takes his constitutional rights very seriously.
Jon Gibson, of Lake Lincolndale, N.Y., told TheBlaze in an exclusive interview on Tuesday that he has retained an attorney and they are “considering our options moving forward.” His attorney, Richard Bombardo, said there is a potential case for “criminal trespassing, vandalism and larceny,” pending additional findings.
As TheBlaze reported on Monday night, Gibson was fed-up after his pro-gun sign was removed from his front yard for the third time. In response, he set up a hunting “trail camera” to catch the suspected thief when he or she came to take the sign for the fourth time.
He was shocked when he reviewed the images and discovered that a police officer with the Somers Police Department was responsible. Somers, N.Y., is a town located about 5 miles from Gibson’s home. However, the Somers police and fire departments serve his area.
(Credit: Jon Gibson)

(Credit: Jon Gibson)

Credit: Jon Gibson

“My First Amendment rights are being stifled — and my due process by taking my sign without citing me first,” Gibson told TheBlaze. “I never received a formal citation, and that’s my gripe.”
“The police officer has no right to take my property, to destroy my property without giving me a receipt or citing me,” he added.
TheBlaze has reached out to both the Somers Police Department and the building inspector for more information, including whether or not a formal citation was ever filed. Assistant Building Inspector Tom Tooma told TheBlaze he would look into the situation and get back to us, but multiple messages left with the police department have gone unreturned.
Following a complaint from a neighbor, Gibson said he previously received a letter from the town building inspector warning him that he was in violation of town code. However, after a back-and-forth on his First Amendment rights he was apparently told he could leave the sign up for now.
Gibson maintains he never received any formal citation regarding his sign.
Gibson also told TheBlaze he is working with his attorney to determine whether the town can claim any rights to his property because the sign was located about 4 or 5 feet from the edge of the roadway. It should also be noted that it hasn’t been confirmed that the police removed the sign all four times.
“The issue here, is we have a private individual with private land putting up a First Amendment-covered sign on a Second Amendment issue, which is a hot issue here in New York,” Bombardo, Gibson’s attorney, told TheBlaze.
The attorney said if it is determined that the town technically owns the part of the land where the sign was posted, they were within their rights to remove it. However, if the sign was located on Gibson’s private property, which they believe to be the case, then ripping out the sign without issuing a formal citation is a “really big deal.”
“Even if he was in violation of a valid restriction on the placement of the sign, they would have to give him notice,” Bombardo added. “It would be criminal trespassing, vandalism and larceny. The sign was stolen and you can’t do that. It doesn’t matter if it’s a police officer.”
Further, Bombardo argues this is a “singled-out issue.” He said there are other signs in the area that have gone “untouched.”
“If we have individual targeting because they don’t like the message, that’s problematic for the government as well,” the attorney added.
Credit: Jon Gibson

The sign has now become a symbol of free speech for Gibson, who says he first put the sign up to support the repeal of New York’s so-called SAFE Act, a broad gun control package passed after the tragic Sandy Hook shooting.
“I made a donation to SCOPE NY and they provided a repeal the SAFE Act sign. But when I realized someone was intentionally stealing my sign, it became about more than the Second Amendment,” he said.
Gibson at first intended to press criminal charges against the “thief,” but after learning the police are involved, he is now considering all of his legal options. Needless to say, the case has gotten a lot more complicated than he anticipated.
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http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/09/24/meet-the-man-who-caught-cop-on-camera-forcibly-removing-his-pro-gun-sign-and-why-his-attorney-says-it-could-be-a-really-big-deal/