The head of a new organization dedicated to preserving the Second Amendment has sued Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha in federal court after Kealoha denied him in September 2010 a permit to carry and conceal a semiautomatic pistol.

Chris Baker, a 27-year-old firearms instructor, filed the suit. The Hawaii Defense Foundation president was working as a process server at the time and said he wanted to carry a pistol to protect himself and his wife on the job, Baker said Tuesday.

A spokeswoman said the Honolulu Police Department would not comment on pending litigation.

Baker’s suit alleges Kealoha denied the permit "without providing Mr. Baker with a meaningful opportunity to be heard, a reason or explanation for the denial, or any opportunity for further review."

"Should Mr. Baker bear or transport a firearm outside of an enclosed container in Hawaii, Mr. Baker would face criminal prosecution because such bearing and/or transporting constitutes a Class B or C felony pursuant to Hawaii state law. The core of the Second Amendment is the right for law-abiding citizens to protect themselves," according to the lawsuit, which also names Gov. Neil Abercrombie as a defendant.

Baker, originally from Mississippi, said he had to call Honolulu police at least a dozen times during tense situations while serving legal documents.

In one instance last year in Kailua, Baker said, he had to stand between himself and an angry man who was trying to get to Baker’s wife in their locked car.

"This guy flew off the handle," Baker said. "Instead of coming after me, he came after my wife in the car. We stood there for seven or eight minutes for the cops to arrive. If he had gone further, I may have not been able to protect my family. That’s a horrible feeling for any man and for any husband."