Cadillac Man Accused of Disturbing the Peace, Using Bull Horn

A man on a mission, a loud voice and a bull horn…

Police say he was breaking the law and disturbing the peace.

Cadillac City Police say Don Koshmider was protesting in front of the post office.

Koshmider says aside from using a bull horn, he did nothing wrong.

9&10’s Cody Boyer and photojournalist Jeff Blakeman talked to police and Koshmider to get to the bottom of it.

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Cadillac City Police have had run-ins with Don Koshmider in the past.

 But yesterday’s incident had them and others in town covering their ears.

“I believe I have the right to do this,” Koshmider says.

A loud voice rising up at a busy intersection at 4 o’clock Tuesday…

Don Koshmider says he was handing out jury rights pamphlets when an officer approached him.

“Your First Amendment is your soap box,” Koshmider says. “Your being able to peacefully re-address a grievance or petition to Congress, peacefully assemble, freedom of speech, freedom of religion. I didn’t accost anyone. I didn’t approach anyone. I didn’t yell or threaten anyone."

But he did use a bullhorn, which breaks a city ordinance.

He live-streamed the entire encounter on Facebook.

Cadillac Police say he refused to stop when asked and broke two city laws.

“We want to protect people’s freedom of speech,” says Chief Todd Golnick. “It’s extremely important, but that doesn’t mean you can go out and act in a disturbing and quarrelsome and confronting manner out in the public."

Koshmider says he did not know of the rules but maintains his innocence.

“If you are unsure and you need to engage in some level of demonstration, just check out with some competent, legal advice and make sure you are within the law,” Chief Golnick says. "You are seeing government, police specifically, are trying to protect those rights and protect those protesters and allow them to engage in this, but there are still several things that have to happen lawfully."

“If you can’t get out and get on your bull horn at 3 o’clock in the afternoon in one of the busiest intersections, talking about jury rights, we don’t live in America anymore,” Koshmider says.

Koshmider was back out in front of the post office this afternoon, with bull horn in hand, but didn’t use it.

He is currently charged and under investigation for unrelated crimes.