Law Shield notes a troubling legal matter in Hawaii, in which the Honolulu Police Department is being sued for depriving a United Kingdom citizen who is a legal permanent resident of the United States his gun rights. Also, the lawsuit alleges that HPD seized an already permitted and legal shotgun. The case is Andrew Namiki Roberts vs. City and County Of Honolulu.
The backstory: Andrew Namiki Roberts, who was born in England, is now a Honolulu resident. He was given a permit to acquire rifles and shotguns, which the state requires before purchasing a long gun.
Roberts then wanted to get a handgun, which required he take a firearms safety course and then apply for the handgun permit, according to his lawsuit. HPD then told Roberts that he needed a letter from the British consulate clearing his background before he could be granted a permit for a handgun.
From the suit:
“[R]epresentatives of the Honolulu Police Department (“HPD”) have informed Mr. Roberts that because he is a permanent resident rather than a citizen, his background check was deemed by the HPD to be “incomplete” despite no evidence that Mr. Roberts had committed a crime or was otherwise unfit or disqualified from owning a firearm in his home for the purpose of self-defense. Not only was Mr. Roberts’ application to acquire a handgun denied, the HPD even ‘revoked’ Mr. Roberts’ previously issued permit to acquire rifles and shotguns and seized Mr. Roberts’ lawfully acquired shotgun.
“Defendants have violated Mr. Roberts’ Constitutional right to keep a firearm in his home for the purpose of self-defense. Defendants have also unlawfully seized a firearm which Mr. Roberts legally owned and for which he had lawfully obtained a permit to acquire pursuant to Sections 134-2 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes. These actions have violated and continue to violate Mr. Roberts’ constitutional rights under the Second, Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution.”
We hope Mr. Roberts prevails in his suit against the Honolulu Police Department.
The post U.K. Citizen Sues Honolulu Police Over Not Getting Gun Permit appeared first on U.S. & Texas LawShield.