Nessel: Grand Traverse County commissioner did not break the law interlochenpublicradio.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from interlochenpublicradio.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
/ Residents can now only comment at county meetings in person, at the Government Center in Traverse City.
When Grand Traverse County Commissioner Ron Clous flashed his rifle while a resident spoke at an online public meeting, it caused an outcry in the community.
Now the resident, Patricia MacIntosh, is
suing the county and Commissioner Clous in federal court. She argues Clous threatened her, and now she’s too intimidated to speak at subsequent county government meetings. She says that violates her First Amendment rights.
During the meeting, held weeks after the U.S. Capitol insurrection in January, MacIntosh criticized a decision to make the county a
Gun provocation reveals tensions in Traverse City area
John Flesher/AP
A mural adorns the wall of a chocolate shop in downtown Traverse City, Mich., Feb. 13, 2021. Controversy over a local official s display of a gun during an online meeting has raised concerns that Michigan s seemingly tranquil north, a major Midwestern tourist destination, has some of the same racial and cultural divides that have ignited protests and violence in bigger cities. (AP Photo/John Flesher)
By: Associated Press
and last updated 2021-02-22 07:25:55-05
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. â Some 90 minutes into a routine meeting of the Grand Traverse County board, its agenda packed with mundane topics such as roads and libraries, came a surprising seven seconds that drew the kind of national attention no local government wants.
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County Commissioner Ron Clous held the rifle up briefly, smiling at the camera, before setting it down without a word (Grand Traverse County)
A Michigan county commissioner is facing calls to resign after he pulled out a rifle at a virtual public meeting after a woman asked the Michigan Grand Traverse County Board of Commissioners to denounce the Proud Boys. Resident Keli MacIntosh was expressing concerns about members of the right-wing militant group speaking about gun rights at a meeting back in March when Grand Traverse County Commissioner Ron Clous flashed the gun in response, the Record-Eagle reported.