My legislation was suppressed, and my civil rights were violated by my own elected official

Would this have happened to me if I was a women?

Two evenings after I sent in just this email, my neighbor and I went to a Town Board meeting, and I planned to propose legislation regulating light pollution for environmental, economic, energy, and health effects. The Town Hall meeting Never happened. I was also approached by 3-4 officers and escorted away where I was searched. Minutes later I was told that The meeting was cancelled. And some time after that I was told that Peter King's daughter just so happened to plan on being in the auditorium for the meeting, and because secret service (SIS) learned that I was entering the building they authorized to cancel the entire meeting. My civil rights were trampled over that evening!

This letter documents the events of the night. Brian Hassett, my neighbor's letter.
To Whom It may concern,

I am a retired New New York Police Department Police Officer. I served twenty years with the N.Y.P.D. and retired in 2004 as a member in good standings with the rank of Detective. I currently possess a N.Y.S. Armed Security Guard License. Obviously I am well trained in the Laws of Arrest and have many years of experience in this area.

I have known Joseph Naham of (Address) since August 2010 when we started working together with others on issues that effect our community, Lido Beach, N.Y. Although I have only known Mr. Naham a relatively short time we have met many times to discuss these issues. Mr. Naham also dedicates his free time to several other causes throughout Long Island. I would consider Mr. Naham a peaceful, considerate and community minded person.

On the evening of Tuesday January 10, 2011 I accompanied Mr. Naham to a town of Hempstead Board Meeting at One Washington St. Hempstead N.Y... Mr Naham's left leg was in a cast at the time, and he was planning to propose that the Town of Hempstead adopt "Dark Sky" legislation. This is an environmental issue that affects our community as well as others. I was there to give Mr. Naham moral support.

As we approached the Town Hall at approximately 7:10 PM (Ten minutes after the scheduled start) I noticed a crowd of people in the courtyard outside the building and some more people inside the building's vestibule. Having been to a prior Town Meeting recently I immediately surmised that something was amiss. Upon entering the building I noticed the "Sign in" table was not there and there were several uniformed Town of Hempstead Peace Officers in the hallway near the meeting room entrance. I approached one of these peace officers at the door to the town hall meeting room and I asked if we could enter. As Mr. Naham was struggling with his cast and walking behind me, this peace officer explained that the town Board had decided not to open the meeting to the public on this particular evening.

At this time we were approached by a plain clothes police officer who identified himself as a Nassau County Police Detective. this officer displayed his detective shield which was hanging on a chain inside his shirt previously. the detective asked Mr. Naham if he had "ID" and asked if he could see it. Mr Naham obliged by providing his NYS Drivers License. This Detective then said "Joseph Naham?" . Mr Naham replied "Yes" . This detective then asked me if I had any identification and I supplied my N.Y.P.D. Retired Identification Card.. The detective then asked if we would both step over into an adjacent corridor to our right. We obliged by walking approximately fifteen paces to this more secluded area that was still in public view. This Detective then asked Mr. Naham "Do you have any weapons on you tonight Mr. Naham?" Mr. Naham replied "No." The Detective then asked Mr. Naham if he minded if He searched him. Mr Naham replied "No" and complied. Not a moment later a second officer crept behind Mr. Naham and held him while the first officer lifted his jacket-undershirt up to his head. Removed his cell phone, and started to pry into his cast.

At about this time a third officer, detective, wearing a suit and tie came into this area and was handed our identification by the plain clothes detective. This detective later identified himself as Detective James McIntosh of The Special Investigations Squad, Nassau County Police Department Detective McIntosh asked me if I'd step back to the vestibule just indie the buildings' entrance again. I did, leaving Mr. Naham alone with the plain clothes detective in the secluded corridor. Detective McIntosh said he wanted to "let me know what's going on." Detective McIntosh began to explain that "with all that is going on" the Town Board decided not to hold a public meeting on this particular night. I told Detective McIntosh that "We have no idea what is going on." thinking that there may have been a disturbance in the building that night. Detective McIntosh apologized and explained that in the wake of the recent shootings in Arizona (Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and others days earlier) the Town Board decided not to open their meeting to the public. Detective McIntosh asked me what my relationship was with Mr. Naham. I told Detective McIntosh that Mr. Naham was my neighbor. Detective McIntosh then explained that Mr. Naham had written an e-mail that while it did not support probable cause for arrest it did warrant concern. Detective McIntosh did not say who the e-mail was addressed to.

A short time later Mr. Naham returned to this area just inside the building entrance with the plain clothes detective. Mr Naham was told by Detective McIntosh that he was free to leave.

I exited the building with Mr. Naham and he told me that he had written an -email to Congressman Peter King regarding the recent shootings in Arizona and that two detectives had visited his home looking for him the previous day. Mr. Naham assured me that there was nothing threatening in his e-mail and offered to show it to me at a later time. Mr Naham said he had only asked to meet with Representative King to discuss gun control legislation. I drove Mr. Naham back to our town, Lido Beach where we attended a Long Beach School Board Meeting already in session.

After the School Board meeting we met with Mr. Naham's father Gregory Naham who was already at the School Board Meeting. This meeting took place at the Long Beach Middle School Vestibule immediately after the School Board Meeting. After speaking briefly, Gregory Naham presented me with a copy of the above mentioned e-mail which he had stored in his breast pocket. I was told that this was the only e-mail sent to Congressman King. I read this e-mail and did not see anything that could be cause for alarm or be construed as a threat. to the contrary, the e-mail mentioned the September 11th attack on our country and the recent shooting in Arizona. Both events were characterized as tragedies. the e-mail also mentioned "gun control."

I am alarmed by the subsequent bodily frisk of Joseph Naham. Obviously neither myself nor Mr. Naham displayed any indication that we had just committed a crime or were about to commit a crime, the paramount legal standard for such a "stop, question and frisk." Although Mr. Naham consented to the bodily frisk there was no legal basis for the initial "stop" in my professional opinion.

I am especially appalled that Congressman King's office would refer this non-threatening e-mail from one of his constituents to the Nassau County Police Department for investigation. Obviously someone in Representative Kings' office used very poor judgement in this instance. this was the catalyst for another example of poor judgement by the Nassau County Police Department. Fortunately this chain of events ended abruptly without the tragic ending we so often read about. Unfortunately it led to our civil rights being violated.

Signed
Sincerely,
Brian Hassett