A Massachusetts 85-year old Korean War veteran and school crossing guard has gotten his job back after being fired in the wake of a ‘red flag’ gun confiscation.
Stephen Nichols was rehired this week as a school crossing guard for the Tisbury School after a wave of backlash followed his firing by Tisbury Police Department. Nichols was fired after a waitress overheard a conversation he had in regards to his concerns for school safety. Nichols wasn’t pleased with a designated school resource officer who was known to take coffee breaks at a local convenience store when children were arriving at school.
The conversation was apparently interpreted as a threat, and Nichols became the victim of a ‘red flag’ gun seizure by the Tisbury Police Department. He was fired on-the-job and escorted home where police seized his legally-owned firearms and Massachusetts license to carry without providing any documentation to the senior citizen.
Nichols has 11 grandchildren and has passionately asserted that he would “never, ever” hurt a child.
The sham process Nichols was subjected to was initially reported on by the Martha’s Vineyard Times and Big League Politics. After area community members responded with outrage, it appears that the police department’s firing of Nichols was overruled.
It’s more unclear if Nichols is going to get his guns back. The law firm representing him claims to have received several offers to cover Nichols’ costs in a appeal to overrule the seemingly arbitrary and draconian red flag gun seizure enacted on a patriotic senior citizen on the basis of mere hearsay.
Tisbury Police continue to decline comment on their actions in Nichols’ case.