Man arrested for "assaulting" VP Cheney

SoFlaJDM · 10-04-2006, 11:23 AM

This deserves more attention. A man walking with his young son goes up to the Vice President at a public appearance and tells him his Iraq policy is "reprehensible." He's later arrested for "assaulting" VP Cheney. Now he's suing. The guy's name is Steve Howard.
Here's a snippet from the Rocky Mountain News ...

Attorney David Lane said that on June 16, Steve Howards was walking his 7-year-old son to a piano practice, when he saw Cheney surrounded by a group of people in an outdoor mall area, shaking hands and posing for pictures with several people. According to the lawsuit filed at U.S. District Court in Denver, Howards and his son walked to about two-to-three feet from where Cheney was standing, and said to the vice president, "I think your policies in Iraq are reprehensible," or words to that effect, then walked on.
Ten minutes later, according to Howards' lawsuit, he and his son were walking back through the same area, when they were approached by Secret Service agent Virgil D. "Gus" Reichle Jr., who asked Howards if he had "assaulted" the vice president. Howards denied doing so, but was nonetheless placed in handcuffs and taken to the Eagle County Jail.

Can we find out more about this incident?
Talking Points Memo: by Joshua Micah Marshall

remember those civil liberties that those crazy liberals are always crying about? there they go

Stylerod · 10-04-2006, 11:57 AM

That was a short piano practice.

But if what happened is true, I think his rights were violated.

hsmith · 10-04-2006, 12:03 PM

so fucked

SoFlaJDM · 10-04-2006, 12:04 PM

Originally Posted by hsmith

so fucked

who?

hsmith · 10-04-2006, 12:07 PM

Originally Posted by SoFlaJDM

who?

all of us

SpicyMcVoodoo · 10-04-2006, 01:33 PM

This is all speculation. What was his body language? Did he look like he was about to punch Cheney? Did he try to scare Cheney with his tone and body language? If so, they very well could be assault, and of course if you ask the guy, he'll say, "But I just told him I don't prefer his policies!"

JaJae · 10-04-2006, 01:35 PM

I have to agree with Spicy here. Not enough information yet. A lot of people have heckled Cheney. Nobody has ever been arrested for it.

Scrum · 10-04-2006, 01:40 PM

Story seems a litte weird.

DosEquis · 10-04-2006, 03:50 PM

Originally Posted by JaJae

I have to agree with Spicy here. Not enough information yet. A lot of people have heckled Cheney. Nobody has ever been arrested for it.

yeah... the "go fuck yourself" guy after the hurricane wasn't arrested

motivez · 10-04-2006, 04:32 PM

Don't you think if the Secret Service felt Cheney was in danger or being threatened, they would have apprehended him as he approached, or as he said something, potentially making a body gesture?

I doubt very seriously they'd allow someone to "assault", or approach threateningly to the VP or the President and then simply walk off without anything.

JaJae · 10-04-2006, 04:34 PM

Originally Posted by motivez

Don't you think if the Secret Service felt Cheney was in danger or being threatened, they would have apprehended him as he approached, or as he said something, potentially making a body gesture?

I doubt very seriously they'd allow someone to "assault", or approach threateningly to the VP or the President and then simply walk off without anything.

I highly doubt someone would have the tact to approach threateningly to the vice president. But truth be told, this type of situation has happened before. It is the first time someone has been arrested for it though.

I'll wait till more evidence is out there before making up my mind. Something is obviously missing from this story.

Nonphixion · 10-04-2006, 04:49 PM

Originally Posted by SpicyMcVoodoo

This is all speculation. What was his body language? Did he look like he was about to punch Cheney? Did he try to scare Cheney with his tone and body language? If so, they very well could be assault, and of course if you ask the guy, he'll say, "But I just told him I don't prefer his policies!"

He was with his little boy after picking him up from some extra-curricular activities. That's not really the grounds for physically attacking/hurting someone you don't like

motivez · 10-04-2006, 04:50 PM

I'd like more information too, but it doesn't seem very likely that this was 'assault' if they let him walk away.

SpicyMcVoodoo · 10-04-2006, 05:52 PM

Originally Posted by motivez

I'd like more information too, but it doesn't seem very likely that this was 'assault' if they let him walk away.

Maybe they thought it was technically assualt the first time, but not serious enough of a real threat to bother arresting him, so they told him to get lost, and then he walked right up again so they did arrest him.

Who knows what happened. The story could've played out a million ways.

Kytro · 10-04-2006, 06:20 PM

Charges were dismissed so there can't have been a very strong case.

SICKGUY · 10-04-2006, 10:17 PM

Originally Posted by motivez

I'd like more information too, but it doesn't seem very likely that this was 'assault' if they let him walk away.

this is from the denver post, same story...

denver & the west
Cheney critic sues agent over arrest
O'Donnell suggested service program for high school boys. The Republican candidate said the last year of high school is "wasted." His opponent cited an opinion piece from 2004 in a debate airing tonight.
By Mike McPhee
Denver Post Staff Writer
DenverPost.com

A Golden businessman sued a Secret Service agent Monday, claiming he was subjected to unlawful seizure, unlawful search and retaliation for exercising his right to free speech.

Steven Howards, 54, was arrested during the summer by Agent Virgil Reichle Jr. after he made comments about the U.S. policy in Iraq to Vice President Dick Cheney in a Beaver Creek shopping mall.

"I was handcuffed and arrested in the presence of my young son for simply telling Mr. Cheney that his policies in Iraq are reprehensible," said Howards, an environmental consultant and former director of the Regional Air Quality Council in 1986-1991.

Reichle refused to comment and referred all media inquiries to his boss, Agent-in-Charge Lon Garner, who failed to return phone calls.

While walking his 11-year-old son to a piano lesson, Howards saw Cheney shaking hands and posing for photos. He walked over and told Cheney, "I think your policies in Iraq are reprehensible."

Howards said he walked on, not wanting to cause a disturbance with so many Secret Service agents around.

About 10 minutes later, Howards and his 8-year-old son were walking back through the square when Reichle allegedly walked up to Howards and asked him whether he had assaulted the vice president.

"He came out of the shadows," Howards said. "He didn't accuse me but asked me if I had assaulted Cheney. I said no, he grabbed me and handcuffed me behind my back in front of my son. As he led me away, I told him I can't abandon my son. He said he'd call social services."

Howards said Reichle told him he was being charged with the felony crime of assaulting the vice president. An Eagle County sheriff's deputy drove him to jail, where Howards' wife bonded him out three hours later.

Howards eventually was charged with harassment, a misdemeanor crime, which Eagle County District Attorney Mark Hurlbert dropped on July 6.

"We filed a motion to dismiss the charge because we didn't think we could prove it beyond a reasonable doubt because we had gotten word that the vice president did not wish to prosecute Howards," Hurlbert said Monday. "Originally, he was going to be charged with assault because the information we got from Secret Service was that he had pushed the vice president. We learned later that it had been only verbal."

U.S. attorney spokesman Jeff Dorschner said that if Reichle was acting within the scope of his employment, he will be given the choice of hiring a private attorney to defend him at taxpayers' expense or to use an assistant U.S. attorney to represent him.

Staff writer Mike McPhee can be reached at 303-954-1409 or mmcphee@denverpost.com.