On March 13, 2014 members of the
Calvert County Sheriff’s Office were assigned to the Calvert County Circuit
Courthouse located at 175 Main Street, Prince Frederick, Calvert County,
Maryland, for a possible protest rally that was alleged to have civil
disobedience as a component. The
organizers of the protest had issued press releases and made public comment on
social media sites that they intended to conduct acts of civil disobedience in
protest to a proposed liquid natural gas liquefaction project that is in the
Lusby area of Calvert County. At
approximately 11:00 a.m. a group of approximately 25 persons gathered at the
corner of Main Street and Duke Street.
Some could be seen holding signs in opposition to the aforementioned
proposed project. At approximately 11:10
a.m. the group moved to the public square in front of the main entrance to the
courthouse. Members of the group held up
signs, and others led chants on public address systems against the
project. A few moments later a female
from the group approached Special Deputy Evan Elkins, who was assigned to the
front entrance, and stated she had six people who intended to block the
entrance of the courthouse and anticipated that arrests would be made by law
enforcement. Deputy Elkins advised her
that blocking the entrance was illegal and those doing so would be arrested. She stated she understood and offered to
provide the identifications of those intending to be arrested. Deputy Elkins told her she could keep the
identifications until the persons were arrested.
A few moments later, six people, who
were later identified respectively as David Brooke Hardy, 70, of Lusby, Emily Michaela
Tanner, 20, of Virginia Beach, Gabriel Barrett McKinney, 18, of Baltimore,
Ashok Lalchand Chandwaney 21, of Washington state, Ruth-Ann Lani Tyson, 20, of
St. Mary’s City and Ori Michael Gutin, 19, of Rockville, walked to the front of
the main entrance to the courthouse and stood shoulder to shoulder holding
signs. A female and male, not involved
in the incident, approached the front door and were blocked by the six from
entering the courthouse. Special Deputy
Elkins and Special Deputy Curtis Boswell informed the six offenders that they
were under arrest and escorted them into the lobby where they were handcuffed,
searched, and transported to the lock-up area for processing.
All six were charged with CR 10-201 (c)
(1) under the disturbance of the public peace laws. The charges filed were for
*Disturb Peace Hindering Passage* the more specific charge is did willfully
obstruct and hinder the free passage of another and others in a public place or
on a public conveyance. All of the persons arrested complied and cooperated
with law enforcement during the arrest processing phase. The charges filed are
a misdemeanor and carry a fine of $500 or 60 days incarceration or both.
