By Adam Studzinski

BLOOMINGTON – A group of women who held a rally outside U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood’s office in Bloomington Tuesday night said they’re upset with the way they were treated by a Bloomington police officer.

Melle Hany explained one of her friends was approached by the officer as the rally was ending. Her friends said she was threatened and that the officer had run her license plates.

“(She) said he was repeatedly saying ‘Tell me who’s organizing this protest’ and ‘I need names’ and she’s going to be brought up on inciting a riot,” said Hany. “Just being extremely harassing, and intimidating and threatening.”

Police Chief Brendan Heffner said his officers had been called to the area for a report of criminal damage to property.

“What the officer did was explain to the person about it’s your right to protest or rally, you’ve got to do it peacefully,” said Heffner. “But also, try to pass on some information about you’ve got to be aware sometimes when people have rallies and other things that sometimes people involved can break the law.”

Heffner explained the officers were able to determine no one had been defacing property. He said the people at the rally had been placing post-it notes on LaHood’s office sign.

Adam Studzinski can be reached at [email protected].