WATCH: Heavily armed police surround man acquitted in Whitmer kidnapping case

(Ken Silva, Holder USA) Brandon Caserta was found not guilty of conspiracy to kidnap Governor of Michigan in April 2022.

So he was surprised when heavily armed police surrounded his vehicle last August, guns drawn and ready to fire, all over a minor domestic dispute in which he was accused of harming his ex-girlfriend.” to shake his hand.” Caserta denies the accusation.

At the time, Headline USA reached out to the Bay City Police Department last week, asking why a heavily armed squad was used to arrest Caserta on a relatively minor charge. This reporter specifically asked if these tactics were used because the Bay City Police Department considered Caserta a domestic terrorist threat

“Yeah, that's why,” said Bay City police Lt. said Irene Kjergaard in response to this question.

However, it remains unclear why Bay City saw Caserta as a potential terrorist, if police were operating from F.B.I intelligence, media reports or information from the then-girlfriend. Bay City police declined to respond to questions about the matter, and the FBI also did not respond to an inquiry.

While they still don't have answers about the incident, Headline USA has obtained body camera footage showing the arrest. It largely matches Caserta's description to this publication last August.

Another angle: pic.twitter.com/DpAqwW1trb

— Headline USA (@HeadlineUSA) May 15, 2024

According to body camera footage, the police were on the lookout for Caserta after receiving a complaint from his girlfriend.

According to Caserta, he had been arguing with his ex-girlfriend, who had kicked him out of their home in Bay City, Texas, and had taken his phone.

Stranded in Texas, Caserta took his laptop to a local Starbucks to communicate with his mother and figure out how he could get back to the Midwest. There, an officer spotted him in a Starbucks parking lot and called the rest of his team to approach him.

The footage showed several unmarked cars pulling up behind Caserta, with a marked police SUV pulling up in front of him.

“Hands on the wheel! Hands on the wheel!” you can hear the officers calling Caserta.

Footage later shows officers going through Caserta's personal belongings, including his firearms and ammunition he planned to bring back to the Midwest.

“Looks like a trainer,” commented one officer.

Officers discussed charging Caserta for wearing body armor, but realized they couldn't because he's not a felon.

Bad intelligence

Local police have relied on flawed FBI data in the past to target innocent people as potential terrorist threats. Oklahoma native Saadiq Long filed a lawsuit on the matter in January 2023, after Oklahoma City police referred him on the basis that his name appeared on an office watch list.

“In just two months, Saadiq Long has been pulled over repeatedly, arrested twice, held at gunpoint, and had his car searched by Oklahoma City Police Department officers. It's not because Saadiq is or is suspected of being a criminal -ho,” Long's lawsuit said.

“The FBI distributes its list, through the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database, to the Oklahoma City Police Department. That's all the FBI distributes: a list of names,” said Long, who has previously successfully sued the government to have his name removed from no-fly lists, said in his lawsuit.

“The FBI keeps its reasons and evidence regarding the placement to itself. Therefore, the Department knows that the FBI put Saadiq Long on a watch list, but the Department has no idea why “.

Long's lawsuit is still pending. Caserta, meanwhile, said he has yet to receive a court date to face the misdemeanor assault charge, which is based on the allegation that he hurt his ex-girlfriend by “stroking her hand.”

The exonerated Whitmer kidnapping suspect said he has evidence that will also clear his name in this latest misdemeanor case. While driving back and forth from Texas to defend himself has been a hassle, he said he does it mainly because taking a plea deal would mean losing his Second Amendment rights.

Ken Silva is a staff writer for Headline USA. Follow him at twitter.com/jd_cashless.