A participant at a town hall at WLVT in Bethlehem, Pa., who was removed from the event by police will not be charged with a crime, according to The Associated Press.
At the Aug. 31 event, Simon Radecki asked Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) if his daughter had been kidnapped. His question “was perceived as a threat,” CEO Tim Fallon told Current.
Radecki, who works for an Hispanic immigrant advocacy group, told AP that the hypothetical question was meant to convey the fear that immigrant parents face. Police removed him from the event, which continued.
Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli said he considered charges of disrupting a public meeting and disorderly conduct but decided that Radecki broke no law.
“Clearly, Mr. Radecki’s question was stated in a callous manner without regard for what impact it might have on Senator Toomey” or his family, Morganelli said. “Nevertheless, the criminal law cannot be utilized to remedy insensitive conduct.”
Correction: A headline on an earlier version of this post said that charges were dropped. No charges were brought against Radecki.