Howards was in Beaver Creek [Colorado] with his family in June 2006 when he spotted Cheney on the street. The vice president, in town for a conference sponsored by former President Gerald Ford, was surrounded by people, shaking hands and posing for photographs.Howards, an environmental consultant, approached the vice president.
According to a lawsuit Howards later filed in federal court, he was two to three feet away from Cheney when he addressed him.
“I think your policies in Iraq are reprehensible,” he said.
Howards told the Rocky that he may have lightly touched Cheney’s arm or shoulder, though the lawsuit makes no mention of any contact.
After the encounter, Howards continued walking down the street with his son. About 10 minutes later he was approached by Secret Service agents who accused him of assaulting Cheney.
Howards denied the claims, but was taken to the Eagle County Jail, where he was held for about three hours and issued a summons for misdemeanor harassment.
The Eagle County District Attorney’s office dismissed the charge in July 2006, after District Attorney Mark Hurlbert said it became clear Howards hadn’t pushed Cheney.
In October 2006, Howards filed a federal lawsuit, claiming he was arrested in retaliation for speaking his mind about the government’s policies in Iraq — a violation of his First Amendment right to free speech.
[...]
In court filings responding to Howards’ lawsuit, attorneys for Virgil “Gus” Reichle Jr., the agent who initiated the arrest, said that while Reichle didn’t see the encounter, he believed he had probable cause to arrest Howards because other agents told him there had been an assault.
The lawyers also say Howards became beligerent when Reichle questioned him about the incident.
In the months since, accounts of what occurred have gotten even muddier, and have included allegations of misconduct by the agents.
Reichle, who was based in Denver at the time, told Lane during a deposition that the other agents told him there was an assault, then later changed their story, presumably because Cheney didn’t want to be inconvenienced by a court case.
Another agent, meanwhile, said Reichle contacted him a few hours after the arrest and asked him to trump up the encounter to make the arrest appear legitimate, according to the deposition.
....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.
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