A British IT consultant was arrested by West Yorkshire Police after posting pictures of himself posing with a guns during an American holiday on LinkedIn.
Jon Richelieu-Booth, 50, shared the photograph taken at a Florida homestead on August 13.
The post sparked a 13-week ordeal, which began with a police warning at his residence.
Officers cautioned him about online content and its potential impact on others’ feelings.
Despite Mr Richelieu-Booth’s offer to demonstrate the photograph’s American origin, authorities chose to arrest him on August 24.
Despite all charges against him being withdrawn, police returned to his property after 10pm that evening and detained him.
Bail documentation revealed accusations of firearm possession intended to frighten and stalking charges concerning a property photograph on social media.
Following his initial release on bail until late October, police visited his home three additional times.
The IT consultant endured a 13-week ordeal including multiple arrests and police visits
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LINKEDIN / JON RICHELIEU-BOOTH
October brought a second arrest for alleged bail violations, though this accusation was subsequently abandoned.
Whilst the original firearms and stalking charges were dismissed, prosecutors pursued a public order offence regarding a separate social media post.
Mr Richelieu-Booth was scheduled to face Bradford magistrates on 25 November for allegedly displaying material intended to cause distress, but this charge was also withdrawn.
The seizure of his electronic equipment also prevented him from conducting his IT contracting work.
Mr Richelieu-Booth said his experience was an example of ‘massive overreach’ by the police
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LINKEDIN / JON RICHELIEU-BOOTH
“I’ve been put through 13 weeks of hell,” he despaired, characterising the police response as “massive overreach”.
He questioned: “When did we go from a society where you can have a discussion with somebody and go, ‘You know what? I don’t like your opinion. I’m going to disagree with you, but I’m not going to tell you why, I’m going to call the police.”
“When did we get so thin-skinned as a society?”
The self-employed contractor said he had previously supported the force’s work in maintaining order but now has “no faith in the police”.
Mr Richelieu-Booth revealed his intention to pursue legal proceedings against West Yorkshire Police, declaring: “I will be filing a case against the police”
“I will be seeking quite a lot of damages,” he warned, The Telegraph reported.
West Yorkshire Police declined to provide a statement to the Yorkshire Post, citing the potential for formal complaint proceedings.
The force stated it “wouldn’t be appropriate to comment” on the matter.