Police in Munster, Indiana, are pursuing charges against two individuals after a verbal altercation at a polling place. One person, a failed Republican candidate, may face felony charges for bringing a weapon on school grounds, while the other individual may face misdemeanor charges of intimidation. Murray Ledger and Times reported
Verbal Altercation at Eads Elementary School Polling Place in Munster, Indiana
Police in Munster, Indiana, are pursuing charges against two individuals following a heated argument at the Eads Elementary School polling place on Tuesday. One person, a former Republican candidate for Munster Town Council, is facing felony charges for bringing a weapon onto school grounds. The other individual is facing misdemeanor charges of intimidation.
Video Evidence and Eyewitness Testimony
Sergeant Thomas Kuhlenschmidt stated that the charges were based on a combination of video footage from the school’s security cameras, body camera recordings, and his own observations as the shift supervisor at the scene. According to Kuhlenschmidt, two complaints had been received from voters who encountered an individual outside the polling place making derogatory comments about Democrats, labeling them as Marxists or communists. The polling place inspector intervened and instructed the person to leave.
Upon reviewing the video footage, Kuhlenschmidt confirmed that the inspector had indeed confronted the individual outside the polling place and made hand gestures indicating the need to depart. However, the person produced a red piece of paper as proof of his polling credentials, causing the inspector to return inside, presumably to contact the police.
Altercation between Complainant and Offender
During the inspector’s absence, one of the original complainants approached the individual and engaged in an argument. Although there is no audio evidence, both parties involved testified that they exchanged heated words. The video clearly shows the second man stepping into the first man’s personal space with his hands behind his back, threatening physical violence and expressing regret for not having done so earlier.
Feeling threatened, the first man pulled back his jacket, revealing a holstered firearm. However, Kuhlenschmidt emphasized that the weapon was not brandished or touched at any other time during the altercation. When the inspector returned to separate the two men, the individual with the firearm retreated to his car, while the other individual remained at the polling place.
Legal Entitlement to Carry a Weapon
Prior to pursuing charges, the police had to ascertain whether the individual with the firearm was legally allowed to possess it. It was discovered that he had previous law enforcement experience, having served as a police officer in Gary from 1998 to 2002 and as a Schneider town marshal from 2002 to 2004. He later worked as a police officer for the Department of Veterans Affairs until 2014.
Initially, the man was believed to be a member of the military police; however, it was clarified that military police are only permitted to carry weapons on base unless they are part of a criminal investigative division. Carrying weapons on school grounds is prohibited by law.
Legal Charges and Future Actions
The police are seeking felony charges against the individual in possession of the firearm for bringing it onto school grounds. The other individual involved in the altercation is facing misdemeanor charges of intimidation. The status of the case was not updated by the Lake County Prosecutor’s Office at the time of this report.
Munster Police Chief Steve Scheckel condemned the behavior that occurred at the polling place, emphasizing that such conduct will not be tolerated in the future.
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