Recorded conversation documents Constitutional Rights violations; Operation Rescue demands apology

Contact: Troy Newman, President, 316-841-1700; Cheryl Sullenger, Senior Policy Advisor, 316-516-3034; both with Operation Rescue, info@operationrescue.org

OLATHE, Kansas, April 9 /Christian Newswire/ -- Ronald Brock was threatened with arrest and impoundment of his Truth Truck on Monday evening by Olathe Police Sgt. David Haldeman, (Badge #751), who told Brock that he must leave the city or "live with the results."

Brock was told that he would be charged with "promoting obscenity" if he remained in Olathe, for images displayed on his vehicle that depicted aborted babies and victims of the Jewish Holocaust of World War II. Brock had spent the previous day in Olathe parked outside the Johnson County Courthouse, where he was observed by dozens of police officers without incident.

Even though Brock believed that the order was unlawful and a violation of his Constitutional Rights, Brock immediately left Olathe to avoid an illegal arrest and vehicle impound.

"We cannot allow this egregious violation of Ron's rights to go without comment. If they can run him out of town because one officer does not like his message, then no one's free speech rights are safe. We demand an apology for this outrageous conduct," said Troy Newman, president of Operation Rescue.

Brock was in Olathe at Newman's request to draw public attention to a Planned Parenthood abortion mill there, which is currently facing 107 criminal charges, 23 of which are felonies.

Operation Rescue urges the public to speak out on this injustice. Please contact the Olathe Chief of Police and ask that a formal apology be given to Mr. Brock, along with a guarantee that he is free to exercise his First Amendment rights in Olathe, Kansas, at any time.

Listen to the audio file

Read the transcript

Police Chief Janet Thiessen

Phone: 913-971-7500

E-mail: ComplimentAnOfficer@olatheks.org

Operation Rescue is one of the leading pro-life Christian activist organizations in the nation.  Operation Rescue recently made headlines when it bought and closed an abortion clinic in Wichita, Kansas and has become the voice of the pro-life activist movement in America.  Its activities are on the cutting edge of the abortion issue, taking direct action to restore legal personhood to the pre-born and stop abortion in obedience to biblical mandates.