01-04-15 ‘Freedom Ride’ arrests

Report No. C16000104

Media Release from Hawai’i County Police Department

Hawaiʻi Island police arrested two men Saturday (January 2) in conjunction with the “Freedom Ride” rally that was held at the King Kamehameha Statue on Saturday morning.

The rally supported what organizers claimed was the constitutional “right to travel” with no driver’s license, registration, license plates, safety stickers and motor vehicle insurance.

Three vehicles left the King Kamehameha Statue area and proceeded into downtown Hilo with cardboard type plates saying “Not For Hire.” Patrol officers stopped the three vehicles on Punahoa Street for obstruction of license plates.

Rodney E. Piedvache, 72, of Nāʻālehu, was arrested and charged with refusing to show identification, driving while license suspended/revoked and no motor vehicle insurance. He was released after $1,025 bail was posted. He also received traffic citations for various infractions.

A second man was arrested and charged with refusing to show identification, no operator’s license and no motor vehicle insurance. He refused to identify himself and is being held at the Hilo police cellblock with no bail. Traffic infraction cases were also initiated against him.

Both men’s vehicles were towed under Hawaiʻi County Code section 24-12 duty of police to enforce traffic laws, which is known as “Aliyah’s Law.”

A third man, 39-year-old Joseph B. Pierce, who has no permanent address, was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct for yelling in the street while officers were conducting the traffic stops.

A fourth man was cited for obstruction of license plates and allowed to leave after removing the paper plates and then providing his driver’s license, registration and insurance for his vehicle.

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Big Island police investigating possible pipe bomb strapped to car

HNN January 5, 2016: …Police wouldn't say whether the case is related to the so-called "Freedom Ride" in Hilo on Saturday, but the Tow Guys owner said the car was towed from the event.

"Freedom Ride" participants argued they have a constitutional right to drive without licenses, insurance, and vehicle registrations. Shortly after the ride got underway in downtown Hilo on Saturday, police pulled the participants over. Two cars were towed and three men were arrested.

One car was taken to the Tow Guys on Kauakea Street in Waimea.

The device, with wires coming out of it, was found by Tow Guys owner David McCollough on Tuesday.

McCollough said he got a call Tuesday morning from a man who said he was the registered owner of the car.

The man told him to take a close look at the car. That's when McCollough found what appeared to be a pipe bomb.

"As I'm looking at his front license plate where it should have been, I noticed a long cylindrical PVC tube bolted underneath his front bumper with straps. About five inches round, about two-and-a-half-feet long, it had two electrical connections to it, a positive and a negative," said McCollough.

"And the way you would arm it is flick on the toggle switch and the first person to start it, because it was wired to the starter relay, as soon as that starter relay got voltage to it, it would ignite the component that's up front, which appears to be a bomb," he said….

read … Pipe Bomb?

WHT: It appeared to be a dummy bomb, intended to look like a real one

BIVN: VIDEO: Bomb Scare Evacuates Waimea Tow Business

HTH: Possible explosive device found on ‘Freedom Ride’ vehicle

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Suspicious device on Hawaii Island deemed safe, investigation underway

KHON: …At about 9:40 a.m., the tow company reported receiving a phone call from an individual about a car in the company’s possession. After taking a closer look, the owner of the tow company became very concerned about a device resembling a pipe bomb affixed to the front of the vehicle.

Responding officers confirmed the description given by tow company employees and conferred with U.S. Army Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) personnel about the suspicious device. After reviewing photographs of the device, EOD personnel elected to fly to Waimea from Oahu, along with special agents from the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

Late Tuesday night the device was disassembled and it was determined that the contents were not explosive.

The investigation will be continued by detectives with the Police Department’s Area II Criminal Investigations Division with assistance from the FBI and ATF….

read … Hoax Device?

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Truck Owner: It’s a ‘Water Fuel Cell’, not a Bomb

WHT: …The investigation is ongoing but he said it appeared to be a dummy bomb, intended to look like a real one.

The owner of the vehicle disputes that.

William Gilroy, of Captain Cook, who owns the car that police pulled over before impounding it on Saturday, said the device was a simple a water fuel cell, a system to improve gas mileage by mixing fuel and water….

Gilroy for some time refused to provide an ID on grounds, he said, he didn’t commit a crime, but eventually provided one from the Kingdom of Hawaii. It’s not a form of identification recognized by the state.

Gilroy was not arrested, although the car was towed the vehicle under Aliyah’s Law, a county statue that allows police to tow cars of people driving without a state license and in other situations….

Tow Guys east of Waimea owner, David McCullough, told West Hawaii Today he saw the device after a call from the vehicle owner, Gilroy, saying he should examine the front end. He found what he thought was a bomb and called police.

Gilroy disputes that. He said he called to ask who the person was that towed his vehicle, as that person could be subject to fines. The vehicle was marked as private property and included signage that moving it would incur a $10,000 fine. He hung up the phone because the tow owner seemed very upset.

As for the water fuel cell, it was disconnected at the time, Gilroy added.

The tow truck driver had originally believed that, McCullough said, but his discovery of wires and a toggle switch to the battery changed his mind.

Members of the Hawaii Police Department, FBI, ATF and Army responded to the scene. The closed off the area in the afternoon and the investigation stretched into the evening.

Madieras said that the officers may contact Gilroy during the course of the investigation, but their immediate concern was with the device itself on Tuesday.

Four explosive ordinance disposal soldiers from the 303rd Ordinance Battalion were sent to the scene from Oahu, said Major Leslie Waddle.

A spokesman for the ATF said that if the device was determined to be an attempt to look like a bomb, there is the possibility of federal charges….

read … Water Fuel Cell Hoax?

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ILind: Don’t Be Steered Astray — You Do Need A Driver’s License

VIDEO: Joe Pierce Describes Freedom Ride Arrest

KHON: Two men arrested at ‘Freedom Ride’ rally in Hilo

HTH: ‘Freedom Ride’ leads to arrests 

HTH Dec 28, 2015: Group to exercise ‘right to travel’