Man Arrested At RivCo Trump Rally Sues Sheriff For Defamation

COACHELLA, CA — A Las Vegas man who was arrested at a rare California rally held by former President Donald Trump on Oct. 12 is suing Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and some deputies for defamation.

The suit, filed by Vem Miller in Nevada, alleges Bianco and his deputies violated his civil rights and wrongfully painted him as someone attempting to assassinate the former president.

The 49-year-old was released later that day "without incident." The U.S. Secret Service also confirmed Trump was not in danger and that the arrest did not warrant concern, according to multiple reports.

Miller's suit further accuses the sheriff of "intentionally, maliciously and with a blatant disregard for the truth, wanted to create a narrative so as to be viewed as a 'heroic' sheriff who saved presidential candidate Trump from a third assassination attempt."

Miller, who is a registered Republican and active in the Clark County Republican Party's Central Committee, seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages, according to court documents.

READ MORE: 'Chaos': RivCo Trump Rallygoers Get Stranded, Suffer Heat Exhaustion

On the day of the rally, Oct. 12, Sheriff Bianco said that Miller drove into the VIP parking lot near the stage carrying a loaded handgun and shotgun. Miller has stated publicly that he often carries firearms for protection.

Bianco says it began when a deputy reportedly noticed "the interior of (the suspect's) vehicle in disarray (and what appeared to be) a fake license plate." Bianco added that the license plate was homemade and looked like one that belonged to a sovereign citizens, which sparked concerns that Miller might be a "militiaman." The sheriff also alleged there were "multiple fake passports" inside the Miller's pickup. prompting deputies to arrest Miller and conduct further investigation.

But Miller told one social media influencer earlier this week that he was the one who declared the guns prior to deputies flagging him for questioning.

"I’m going to start posting all the evidence that shows the riverside county sheriff is full of [expletive], and so is his deputy," Miller posted on Instagram Wednesday, with a photo of a VIP parking pass for the Trump rally in Coachella. "Not only are they full of it, they are doing criminal actions under the color of law, abusing their power, and thus must be removed from their positions."

Miller's suit says he was "provided expedited special entry passes by the Trump 47 campaign directly."

Over the weekend, Bianco called Miller a "lunatic" and said "I truly do believe that we prevented another assassination attempt."

Since the suit has been filed Bianco has not issued a public statement, but he told the Los Angeles Times in a text message Tuesday that "three days later, if everything Mr. Miller has said is true, and I really hope it is, then he probably wasn't there to hurt former President Trump."

The Riverside Sheriff's Department released a statement on Wednesday: "We acknowledge the lawsuit filed against the Riverside County Sheriff's Office and take such matters seriously. However, as it is pending litigation, we cannot comment on the specifics at this time. We are committed to transparency and will cooperate fully with the legal process. Our priority remains the safety and well-being of the community we serve."

The event followed two recent assassination attempts targeting the former president.

In July, shots fired left Trump with minor injuries when a bullet grazed his ear at his rally in Bulter, Pa. That day, one attendee was killed and two others were seriously injured.

Then, in September, Secret Service agents fired rounds at a man who was arrested after he was found outside of Trump's golf course with weapons.

City News Service contributed to this report.