Knife store owner sues Dublin police for alleged illegal searches, seizing of 300-plus weapons

DUBLIN A former Dublin knife store owner maintains police harassed him after personnel raided his shop and seized million in firearms and other weapons a federal lawsuit filed this week says Deepak Chopra alleges police illegally searched and seized inventory and weapons from his previous business Dublin Knives in The lawsuit alleges leadership took guns and other weapons such as knives and brass knuckles from his Dublin Boulevard shop without a warrant and without probable cause Chopra suggests he owned all the weapons legally and police used threats intimidation and coercion according to the lawsuit which names Dublin Police Services Chief Victor Fox and deputies William Cowens and Christopher Shepard as defendants According to the lawsuit Cowens and Shepard entered Dublin Knives on April while responding to a call of a robbery did not present a warrant and began searching Chopra s store and seizing guns switch blades and other inventory Months later around Aug Shepard did obtain a warrant to search Chopra s home and business the lawsuit says The police seized more inventory but misrepresented Chopra s legal business practices as criminal activity records show Chopra s lawsuit also alleges his autistic son suffered distress and injuries when the child was detained for more than five hours during the alleged unlawful search of Chopra s home The lawsuit says the child s detainment caused his son to bang his head on the ground in distress requiring urgency therapeutic attention He also alleges his wife Deepika Chopra suffered severe emotional distress Prosecutors charged on Chopra in April with crimes including charges such as possession of an assault weapon possession of a short barreled rifle shotgun manufacturing firearms without a serial number and furnishing a switchblade There was no drugs there was no cocaine there was not methamphetamine there was nothing Chopra revealed in an interview Everything was legally possessed and owned They wasted millions of dollars on us The court issued an order on Feb requiring officers to return the seized weapons and inventory The lawsuit was filed after Chopra s claim against the city which contracts with the Alameda County Sheriff s Office for policing was denied in February The Alameda County District Attorney s Office on Tuesday afternoon disclosed a a pretrial hearing is scheduled for a criminal development against Chopra on May at the East County Hall of Justice in Dublin Chopra who is suing for millions in damages for lost inventory and economic harm has since relocated his business to San Ramon They ve destroyed our lives he noted Tuesday