My Story
On June 3, 2026, between 3:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m., three Hocking County Sheriff's deputies violated my constitutional rights on Harris Road in Hocking County, Ohio. This is a first-hand account of what happened.
What happened on Harris Road.
On June 3, 2026, between 3:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m., my ATV slid into a concealed roadside ditch on Harris Road in Hocking County while I was stopped to check a hunting application. Three Hocking County Sheriff's deputies arrived on the scene while I was actively attempting to recover the vehicle.
At the time, my hunting firearm was legally unloaded and encased, and my loaded handgun was placed safely on the ground nearby. Despite my legal status as a qualifying adult under ORC § 2923.111(C)(1)(a), lack of criminal history, and having all proper licensing, insurance, trail and hunting permits, the deputies immediately escalated the encounter.
"They aggressively threatened me with felony arrest under the false claim that it is illegal to possess a loaded pistol while riding an ATV or motorcycle — and one deputy threatened to shoot me."— Personal testimony, June 3, 2026
I explicitly notified the deputies of my participation in Ohio's Blue Envelope Program for individuals with developmental disabilities. The deputies completely refused to honor the program. One deputy physically blocked me from reaching into my bag to retrieve the envelope and my identification, while another later stated he did not care about the program.
The deputies then utilized this self-created obstruction as a baseline excuse to enter and search my vehicle without consent, directly violating my Fourth Amendment rights. Under threat of arrest, I allowed them to retrieve my documents from the ATV.
Public records obstruction & communication failures.
Following this encounter, all subsequent attempts to secure official public records or establish transparent communication with the department have been met with systematic stonewalling.
A formal request for the official incident report was denied. Administrative personnel stated that no report exists for the encounter.
A request for corresponding dash camera footage was denied. The department claimed they do not utilize dash cameras.
To date, the Hocking County Sheriff's Office completely refuses to engage in electronic communication, failing to respond to sent emails or even acknowledge their basic receipt.
What happened, step by step.
The ATV Slides Into a Ditch
While stopped on Harris Road in Hocking County to check a hunting application, my ATV slid into a concealed roadside ditch. I was actively attempting to recover the vehicle when three Hocking County Sheriff's deputies arrived on the scene.
At the time, my hunting firearm was legally unloaded and encased. My loaded handgun was placed safely on the ground nearby — a lawful act under ORC § 2923.111(C)(1)(a) as a qualifying adult with no criminal history and all proper licensing, insurance, trail and hunting permits.
Deputies Threaten Felony Arrest
Despite my legal status as a qualifying adult, the deputies immediately escalated the encounter. They aggressively threatened me with felony arrest under the false claim that it is illegal to possess a loaded pistol while riding an ATV or motorcycle. One deputy also threatened to shoot me.
This claim is directly contradicted by Ohio Senate Bill 215 and ORC § 2923.16, which explicitly protect lawful open carry. The threat of deadly force against a citizen exercising a lawful right is an abuse of law enforcement authority.
Deputies Refuse Disability Accommodation
I explicitly notified the deputies of my participation in Ohio's Blue Envelope Program for individuals with developmental disabilities. The deputies completely refused to honor the program.
One deputy physically blocked me from reaching into my bag to retrieve the envelope and my identification. Another deputy later stated he did not care about the program. This is a documented refusal to honor a state-recognized disability accommodation.
Warrantless Vehicle Search
The deputies utilized this self-created obstruction — physically blocking me from retrieving my identification — as a baseline excuse to enter and search my vehicle without consent. Under threat of arrest, I allowed them to retrieve my documents from the ATV.
This is a direct violation of my Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable searches and seizures. The obstruction was manufactured by the deputies themselves, then used to justify the warrantless search.
Public Records Obstruction
All subsequent attempts to secure official public records or establish transparent communication with the department have been met with systematic stonewalling.
A formal request for the official incident report was denied — administrative personnel claimed no report exists. A request for dash camera footage was denied — the department claimed they do not utilize dash cameras. To date, the Hocking County Sheriff's Office completely refuses to engage in electronic communication, failing to respond to emails or even acknowledge their receipt.
I will not be silenced.
The deputies' claims run directly counter to Ohio Senate Bill 215 and ORC § 2923.16, which explicitly protect lawful open carry. To openly challenge this law enforcement overreach, I will ride my motorcycle through Hocking County with my pistol clearly and openly visible.
Furthermore, I intend to park my motorcycle directly in front of the Hocking County Sheriff's station every few hours while openly carrying my firearms. I challenge them to charge me with a felony — because my actions are 100% legal under the Ohio Revised Code, and they simply do not have the standing to back up their unlawful threats when confronted with the actual letter of the law.
What the law actually says
- ORC § 2923.111 — Qualifying adults may carry a loaded handgun without a license.
- Ohio SB 215 — Constitutional carry effective June 13, 2022.
- ORC § 2923.16 — Explicitly protects lawful open carry near vehicles.
- The deputies were wrong — Their threat of felony arrest was a false statement of law.
Read the full constitutional breakdown