JULIET, ILLINOIS – A local gym owner is taking action after he was tased and arrested by Juliet police officers without a warrant. Brandon Kelly, the owner of Undisputed Strength Company, says he was arrested after officers entered his gym without permission and began questioning him about a noise complaint.
“I told them they couldn’t come in here,” Kelly said. “This is private property.”
The officers ignored Kelly’s requests and entered the gym, where they proceeded to detain him. When Kelly refused to provide his ID, the officers tased him and took him to the ground.
Kelly was charged with two counts of resisting a peace officer. Those charges are still pending, but Kelly has hired a criminal defence lawyer who is aggressively defending them.
“The Fourth Amendment protects people from unreasonable searches and seizures,” Kelly’s lawyer said. “That includes warrantless arrests in the home. And in this case, my client’s gym is his home.”
The lawyer argues that the officers did not have probable cause to arrest Kelly and that their actions were a clear violation of his Fourth Amendment rights.
“We’re asking the court to dismiss the charges against my client,” Kelly’s lawyer said. “And we’re also asking for an investigation into the actions of the Juliet Police Department.”
This is not the first time that the Juliet Police Department has been accused of misconduct. In September, the department was involved in an incident in which officers invaded the wrong home and detained innocent and terrified people.
“This pattern of behaviour is unacceptable,” Kelly said. “The Juliet Police Department needs to be held accountable for their actions.”
Kelly is now suing the Juliet Police Department for civil rights violations. He is also calling for a policy change that would require officers to obtain a warrant before entering a business without permission.
“I’m fighting for my rights,” Kelly said. “But I’m also fighting for the rights of all business owners in Juliet. We deserve to be protected from unreasonable searches and seizures.”