A 49-year old Las Vegas resident‚ Vem Miller has taken legal action against Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and his department. The lawsuit‚ filed on 10/15/2024 stems from Millers arrest at a security checkpoint outside a Donald Trump rally in Coachella California
Miller was stopped while driving an unregistered SUV with a non-standard license plate. Deputies found a shotgun handgun ammunition and (according to the sheriff) fake passports in the vehicle. Sheriff Bianco announced these findings at a press conference describing the incident as a prevented assassination attempt
The lawsuit claims that Sheriff Bianco lied about the fake passports and created a narrative so as to be viewed as a ʼheroicʼ Sheriff who saved Presidential candidate Trump
The legal action accuses the sheriffs department of conducting an illegal search of Millers vehicle. It also states that Miller willingly informed officers about the weapons intending to leave them in the car
This incident occurs amid heightened security measures at Trump rallies‚ following two recent assassination attempts:
- A man was charged with attempted assassination after allegedly stalking Trump for 12 hours
- Trump suffered an ear injury from a gunshot during a Pennsylvania campaign event
Miller was released on $5000 bail and is set to appear in court in 01/2025 for weapons-related charges. The sheriffs office has not yet responded to requests for comment
The case raises questions about law enforcement conduct media representation of events and the balance between security measures and individual rights at political rallies