Navy Pier Chicago Illegal to Fly? I got assaulted there for not showing my ID to a security guard there.

[Don Testme]

I would definitely hire a very aggressive lawyer and sue his a.. off.

Dale

DON'T FILE THE LAWSUITE AGAINST HIM PERSONALLY, IT MUST BE FILED AGAINST THE SECURITY COMPANY HE WORKS FOR. They have deeper pockets. PLEASE GET A LAWYER AND SHOW THE VIDEO TO THE LAWYER. ---IT'S FREE-- If the lawyer thinks he can win, you won't be charged any money.

 

[Don Testme]

PS. IF YOU FILE A LAW SUITE, YOU HAVE TO PROVE DAMAGES. You will need to see a psychiatrist to get you diagnosed with PTSD or something similar. I f he prescribes meds to calm you down that even better. You can also go to the ER or urgent care. Tell them you were physically harmed or intimidated and mentally in fear for your life. Then tell them, you have been unable to sleep normally since the incident.

Get a lawer ASAP, he or she will help get the things you need and they need to make money off the aussalt. I KNOW IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT MONEY. I know how scary it is when officers abuse their power. It can make people sick to death. Some get scared so much, they end up in mental wards.

I had a cop point his 45 glock at my chest once because I jogged past a crime scene just after a robbery happened. I felt sick for weeks.

 

[Reginald E Johnson]

If you landed when asked, were polite & compliant, and attempted to leave, there was no justification for the “security“ guy to touch you and get that aggressive. What he did was assault and worthy of a 911 call at the time. Inexcusable behavior on his part. Did he ever call for backup or have a recording device on him? Sounds like an out of control wanna be personality.

He would have definitely get a 911 call on him if that was me!

 

[dart106]

My statement is about the legality of flying the drone, Private property vs public property. What I said has nothing to do with the Guard's or OP's behavior. So, I don't understand your point for quoting my statement and your response to it.

Just a comment on the overall thread. Sorry if it confused anyone.

 

[GFields]

Just a comment on the overall thread. Sorry if it confused anyone.

Probably just me

 

[Reginald E Johnson]

Just a comment on the overall thread. Sorry if it confused anyone.

Navy Pier in Chicago is Public Property!

 

[BroomRider]

I'll add my 2 cents here, for what it's worth:

I have a current state police-issued security guard license. While state laws will likely differ, I doubt that they do that much.

Your case brings up some interesting issues.
1. You were most definitely operating your drone unlawfully. Whether you knew it or not, you need to own that.
2. While the security guard had every right to ask you for your identification, he did not have a right to physically assault you, or attempt to detain you against your will. You should consider filing a police report and / or a civil lawsuit.
3. All that being said, you could have simply provided him with a copy of your Part 107 certification and allowed the security guard to document whatever he needed to document pursuant to your unlawful operation of a drone from their property. You need to own that, too.

The issue of operating unlawfully seems to be in significant question, esp in light of whether there was posted signage or not, regardless of anything posted on the interweb.

A security guard may ask for ID, but there's no requirement to comply. There is certainly & absolutely no cause, reason, or justification for any sort of physical contact, nor the same regarding any attempt to detain.

It appears to me that a security guard does not fall under the definition of those to whom you must show your Part 107 documentation.

Oftentimes, there's simply the matter of principle.

I don't know if that security guard called for assistance, whether it being from an associate, or LEOs.

What the security guard should have done:

Be polite, inform the OP that he was in violation, request that he cease & desist, & if necessary, to leave the premises.

Document his observation, either via recording or writing, of the details of the encounter, & if needed, call the police.

That's it. Security guards are not LEOs!

Any question of if, or to what extent, the OP was in violation is far overshadowed by the unquestionably gross misconduct & violations of law committed by that security officer.

I would highly recommend documenting via a medical professional(s) any injuries the OP might have received, physically, psychologically & emotionally, & do that ASAP.

Go have, at least, a consultation with a competent attorney with some sort of experience with such matters.

Photographer's Right

 

[spsphotos]

Your case brings up some interesting issues.
1. You were most definitely operating your drone unlawfully. Whether you knew it or not, you need to own that.
2. While the security guard had every right to ask you for your identification, he did not have a right to physically assault you, or attempt to detain you against your will. You should consider filing a police report and / or a civil lawsuit.
3. All that being said, you could have simply provided him with a copy of your Part 107 certification and allowed the security guard to document whatever he needed to document pursuant to your unlawful operation of a drone from their property. You need to own that, too.

Wrong on all points.
1) He may have been violating Navy Pier "RULES", but nothing about his flight was "ILLEGAL".
2) Sure, ANYONE can ask to see your ID, but you have absolutely NO legal obligation to show it to anyone but a police officer, and even in that case, they have to have reasonable suspicion that you are or are about to commit a crime. That is a constitutional RIGHT.
3) You only have to show your FAA certification to an FAA rep OR the police. Not some Barney Fife rent-a-cop.
The guard's ONLY legal responsibility was to ask him to leave the NP property. PERIOD.

 

[spsphotos]

So to go back to the OP and question of flying over the Navy Pier in Chicago. The Navy Pier is owned by the Navy Pier, Inc. which according to their website is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation established in 2011, and is private property. It appears for the OP - while not explicitly stated - photography may have been recorded. My post was just pointing out that under California civil code law this would be considered an invasion of privacy. A trespassing violation is a criminal activity under California penal code (601 and 602) and would need to be enforced in the appropriate manner. I can't speak to Illinois laws on privacy and trespassing.

Of curious to me in California would specifically be PC 602.1 (a)

"(a) Any person who intentionally interferes with any lawful business or occupation carried on by the owner or agent of a business establishment open to the public, by obstructing or intimidating those attempting to carry on business, or their customers, and who refuses to leave the premises of the business establishment after being requested to leave by the owner or the owner’s agent, or by a peace officer acting at the request of the owner or owner’s agent, is guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for up to 90 days, or by a fine of up to four hundred dollars ($400), or by both that imprisonment and fine."​

If paying visitors or customers to a publicly open privately owned place of entertainment (say San Diego's version of the Navy Pier) and some visitors/customers complained that there was a drone overhead and they were going to leave due to its presence, and said drone was not associated with the place - would PC 602.1 trespassing come into play.

It would appear at least in California if you're flying your drone over a private business and a security guard ask you to leave, you probably should.

I'd like to see case law that supports this. MANY MANY MANY cities, towns, and states try to enact such laws only to be shot down in court once they try to enforce it. Show me actual cases where a drone operator was charged with this statute and lost. Simply flying over private property does not meet that statute's "intentional" portion. Hovering your drone in front of an entrance blocking people from entering/exiting, looking through the windows, etc would be an invasion of privacy and interference. In the United States, you have NO legal expectation of privacy if you can be seen from a public space.

 

[Reginald E Johnson]

I'll add my 2 cents here, for what it's worth:

I have a current state police-issued security guard license. While state laws will likely differ, I doubt that they do that much.

The issue of operating unlawfully seems to be in significant question, esp in light of whether there was posted signage or not, regardless of anything posted on the interweb.

A security guard may ask for ID, but there's no requirement to comply. There is certainly & absolutely no cause, reason, or justification for any sort of physical contact, nor the same regarding any attempt to detain.

It appears to me that a security guard does not fall under the definition of those to whom you must show your Part 107 documentation.

Oftentimes, there's simply the matter of principle.

I don't know if that security guard called for assistance, whether it being from an associate, or LEOs.

What the security guard should have done:

Be polite, inform the OP that he was in violation, request that he cease & desist, & if necessary, to leave the premises.

Document his observation, either via recording or writing, of the details of the encounter, & if needed, call the police.

That's it. Security guards are not LEOs!

Any question of if, or to what extent, the OP was in violation is far overshadowed by the unquestionably gross misconduct & violations of law committed by that security officer.

I would highly recommend documenting via a medical professional(s) any injuries the OP might have received, physically, psychologically & emotionally, & do that ASAP.

Go have, at least, a consultation with a competent attorney with some sort of experience with such matters.

Photographer's Right

I would came back with the Cops, there’s usually a bunch of them right across the Slip at the Water Filtration Plant!

 

[Anthony Ivory]

I appreciate your story and what you went through it is something we can all learn from.

We all have to be more diligent when it comes to flying our drones near /in parks or public property.
The FAA is not the sole authority. Check local laws either online or by calling before flying. Bubafuct only took a few minutes to find the rules for Navy Pier. If you have a 107 then brush up on the rules.
These are the things that make us look better to the public when we are professionals who know and follow all rules and regulations.

 

[pattersongs]

In my opinion, physical assault is a good reason to bless him with the hot sauce (OC spray). I always carry some in my pocket in case I get accosted by some numbskull. If things get out of hand, you've always got some source of protection instead of getting into a fisticuff with the assailant. All things being equal, it's just best to walk away and avoid all confrontation. If you can't, then you've got another option short of rolling around on the ground with some fool. A body cam is also a great idea so that everything is documented.

 

[Anthony Ivory]

In my opinion, physical assault is a good reason to bless him with the hot sauce (OC spray). I always carry some in my pocket in case I get accosted by some numbskull. If things get out of hand, you've always got some source of protection instead of getting into a fisticuff with the assailant. All things being equal, it's just best to walk away and avoid all confrontation. If you can't, then you've got another option short of rolling around on the ground with some fool. A body cam is also a great idea so that everything is documented.

Yep a small clip on body cam is around $30 on Amazon.Documentation beats conversation