When a U.S. Navy veteran feared that the Department of Veterans Affairs was coming to take his guns away, local Congressmen rallied 100 concerned citizens Thursday to protest the VA.

On July 30, John Arnold of Priest River, Idaho received a letter from the VA warning him that he is not allowed to purchase or possess firearms. On the day VA representatives were slated to inspect Arnold’s home, state representatives Heather Scott and Matt Shea rallied 100 people outside Arnold’s home.

According to a controversial policy, the VA can legally ban a veteran from purchasing or owning guns if they are declared incompetent. After Arnold suffered a stroke, he was erroneously marked as legally incompetent and unable to manage his finances on his paperwork, hence the letter threatening his guns. However, the agency does not have the authority to seize an incompetent individual’s weapons.

“This does happen sometimes, where the VA sends out a letter,” said Bryan Hult, veteran services officer for Bonner County. “Especially if a veteran has dementia … and a fiduciary has to be appointed to manage finances like a pension and income. You wouldn’t want that person to be in possession of a gun.”

In the end, the VA relented and the inspection was delayed until a later date. Arnold can appeal the paperwork claiming that he was incompetent.

“If somebody else makes an error and they cause you grief, they should fix it,” said Arnold. “That’s all I want, that stuff to get fixed.”

The Associated Press.