Everyone remember Leonard Embody / “kwikrnu” and how he painted the tip of a pistol-receiver’d AK-47 orange (to make it look like an airsoft toy) and then paraded it around Radnor Lake Park over near Nashville?
Turns out, the attention whore individual is now suing the park ranger who detained him until it could be adequately determined that the firearm Embody was carrying was, indeed, built off a pistol receiver, and was not an SBR. I made myself probably more than abundantly clear about what I think of Embody’s actions in my previous post on the topic, but I figure a recap, with some additional details for the recent news, here would not hurt.
1. What Embody did was legal – he carried a handgun, as defined by the BATFE, in a location where he was permitted to do so, while in possession of a Tennessee-issued Handgun Carry Permit.
2. What Embody did was intentionally and flagrantly designed to cause a scene – he painted the tip of his firearm orange in order to confuse and complicate the situation (and made those intentions known by his own admission), he made every attempt to inflame the situation rather than defuse it, and he has a known history of intentionally causing issues concerning how he carries firearms.
3. Kwikrnu/Embody has a known and admitted history of flagrantly suing and threatening to sue people for frivolous reasons (scroll down to 15OCT09) and threatening to sue people because they disagree (the shopkeeper has a right to refuse business to whomever he so desires, at any time he so desires until the transaction has been completed or a contract signed). Personal acquaintances recount that this type behavior has been going on for years, and consider this recent staged even and resulting lawsuit to be the continuation, if not culmination, of Embody’s previous activities.
4. As Mike points out and I am likewise amused at, Embody is suing for “mental anguish, humiliation and embarrassment, because, the events described in this Complaint were published widely in the Nashville area by the local news media.” If it was true that Embody/Kwikrnu was honestly embarrassed at the situation that transpired at Radnor Lake, then why did he make it his mission to post about it as much as possible, on as many forums and boards as possible? Not all of those 1100+ hits are written by him, of course, but I can think of ten forums, off the top of my head, where kwikrnu himself started multiple threads bemoaning his detainment after his Draco-laden walk. If he was supposedly embarrassed by the news media attention, then why did he go and create his own internet media attention?
As I have said before, repeated earlier, and will repeat again now, what Embody did was legal, and within the limits imposed by Tennessee State Code. However, the park ranger and later police officers were well within their duties and abilities to detain Embody for as long as was necessary to ensure that the firearm he was carrying was actually categorized and classified as a handgun, and, if not, arrest him for violating the law (note: this is a deviation from what I commented at Mike’s site, for which I apologize – I got my lines crossed, and some of the statements I made were based off Embody’s experience openly carrying a blackpowder revolver, in his hand, in Belle Mead).
I sincerely and genuinely wish we lived in a world where people could tote around whatever firearm they deemed necessary, desired, adequate, or appropriate for whatever desires they so have… but the simple fact of the matter is that we do not. This predicament is not going to be changed by dressing up an AK-47 pistol to look like an airsoft toy, parading around a park with it, and suing when individuals with the duty to detain you if you are breaking the law actually try to fulfill that duty. It is my belief that Embody is pursuing this lawsuit in order to obtain a quick payoff (possibly due to his reported recent unemployment, though this behavior is not without previously-mentioned precedent), and that his case should be summarily dismissed for being a frivolous waste of everyone’s time, with no damages levied against Steve Ward, the park ranger.
Sigh. Guys like this get all the attention, no matter how many regular folk exercise their rights without fuss. Freedom includes the freedom to act like a bonehead too, I guess.
Unfortunately, you are absolutely right. Every single other person with an HCP here in Tennessee could open carry on a daily basis, in polite and responsible manners, and then this jackass could come along and do what he does, and everyone will focus on him, and use him as an example of why all those evil HCP-holders are so evil.
Gives me a splitting headache from both directions, it does.
The more I read on that guy the more I agree with the notion that he is trolling for a lawsuit settlements.
The good news is that there is a metric crapton of information on him online… Granted, damned near all of it is depressing as hell, and tends to diminish your faith in humanity, but it is out there.
I believe the actions of the park ranger were not only for the purpose of determining the legality of Embody’s weapon, BUT also to ascertain how much of a threat he was to the general public at that time and place. Regardless of legality, by reasonable standards Embody presented a threatening appearance. Mr. Ward acted in the best public interest IMO, I think he should counter-sue if he hasn’t already.
Honestly, I cannot speak to the “presenting a threatening appearance” angle, simply because I find that line of reasoning to be far too easily abused – is dressing in camos and going to the mall “threatening”? Is wearing a fixed-blade knife one your belt “threatening”? Is wearing a wife-beater and showing off your big-as-my-thighs biceps “threatening”?
To some people, somewhere, all three of those could be threatening, which leaves us with an effectively useless law.
There is no doubt in my mind that Leonard was looking to stir up trouble, but the purpose for his stop should be limited in scope to simply ensuring the legality of his actions – any farther, and we open ourselves to a world of exploitation.
I definitely agree with the counter-suit argument, though, assuming he has the money to do so.
[...] my non-Tennessee readers, you might want to refresh yourself on kwikrnu/Leonard Embody and his previous exploits, but suffice to say that this particular story is simply a rehash of previous events… just [...]
[...] Moving up to a month ago, Leonard Embody/kwikrnu filed a frivolous suit against the park ranger responsible for his detainment. [...]