Veteran says gun comment was a joke

COEUR d'ALENE - A Coeur d'Alene man's reference to bringing guns to a meeting with city officials shouldn't be taken seriously, he said Tuesday.

The gun reference came during a meeting Monday between city officials and the American Legion on the proposed McEuen Field redevelopment plan.

Sherman Randolph said Tuesday that his remarks were inappropriate in light of the shooting tragedy in Tucson, Ariz., but Coeur d'Alene city officials shouldn't take the comment as a literal threat. He refused to apologize.

"In light of the present condition I probably shouldn't have said that," Randolph said, calling the comment a joke. "It was just to emphasize how upset I was."

Others at the meeting said there was nothing funny about the comment.

"I wanted to come out of my chair," said Doug Eastwood, parks director. "I couldn't believe someone would say that, especially after what happened."

Legion members are upset that they weren't included in the planning process, and around 25 members and other veterans used Monday's meeting to oppose parts of the plan with several city officials, including Mayor Sandi Bloem.

The meeting was passionate, and one of the topics that upset several members was that the eventual decision to adopt the park's conceptual plan would likely not be put on a ballot for a public vote; rather, it would be decided by the City Council.

"My wife told me I should leave my guns at home," Randolph said, and the room fell silent.

Bloem said Tuesday she didn't want to dwell on it. She said she wants to focus on the public planning for McEuen Field, and understands the topic draws various, passionate opinions.

"My goal is to create the best plan for McEuen by hearing the ideas and concerns of the community," she said.

The meeting's organizer, Dusty Rhoads, adjutant for American Legion Post 14, did apologize to Bloem and the officials after the hour and a half meeting.

"I definitely didn't like his remark," Rhoads wrote to The Press. "We don't need people getting radical at any of our functions, there is just too much of that today."

Rhoads also gave a public apology for Randolph's comments at Tuesday's City Council meeting, which Bloem accepted.

Randolph said the remark shouldn't be taken that far.

He likened it to the same type of exaggeration he used at the same meeting about his wife "needing to screen the newspaper" for him to prevent him from getting upset at certain stories and headlines.

"It's ridiculous," said Randolph, a retired Marine who isn't a member of the American Legion, but is affiliated with various veteran groups around the area. "I'd hope (the city officials) are not that thin of skin, I'm sure they've heard a lot worse stuff than that. ... I certainly didn't mean anything by it."

He said he wasn't speaking for any of the veterans groups with which he is affiliated, but sharing his personal opinion. He didn't consider the timing of the remark after a shooting at a political meet and greet in Arizona killed six people, and left state Rep. Gabrielle Giffords seriously wounded.

Police are not investigating the matter as a complaint hasn't been filed, Sgt. Christie Wood said. Police learned of the incident from a phone call from The Press. Wood noted police would be aware of Randolph at future meetings, and "if the behavior of anyone at public meetings, or elsewhere in the public domain rises to the level of threatening behavior or an assault we will take the appropriate legal action."