Two Men Arrested in Separate Incidents After Brandishing Loaded Firearms at Protesters
Police detained two men after brandishing loaded firearms at protesters in California and Texas. The man in California was filmed pointing a loaded AR-15 at approaching protesters while telling them to back off. Police will charge Jacob Daniel Bracken, 38, of Rancho Cucamonga with two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, according to San Bernardino County District Attorney's office.
Although Bracken did not fire the gun, pointing a firearm with the intention of intimidation is a criminal offense. His friend, who stood alongside him, said he felt overwhelmed by the sheer number of protesters. Reports indicate Bracken did not live at the compound where he drew the weapon. The incident was captured by a protester who notified the Upland Police Department.
"Thankfully, through the restraint of the protesters and the swift investigation by the Upland Police Department, a potential tragedy may have been avoided," the Attorney's office said.
Upland Police Chief, Darren Goodman, said he was not trying to make an example of the case.
“There’s no attempt to make an example. The example is simply we follow the rule of law and that applies to everybody. What this person did was unacceptable,” Goodman said.
A similar incident took place in Texas when a 25-year old man pointed a loaded Smith & Wesson .223 caliber semi-automatic firearm towards protesters. Emmanuel Quinones refused to drop the gun, thus compelling the police to draw their weapons to force him to comply. Quinones also shouted, "this is a revolution," and "President Trump must die" as a protester tackled him to the ground.
The suspect had also written social media posts threatening the president and MAGA supporters. Quinones had initially posted his intentions of obtaining a firearm "to off racists and MAGA people." He will face charges of making interstate threats during the incident that took place at Lubbock.
His charges also emanated from displaying a weapon in a threatening manner. Quinones does not appear to fit in any description possible. He could be a maniac who was opposed to both the protests and Trump. He could as well belong to Antifa or similar criminal outfits.
Gun owners should be aware of the possible tension caused by lawlessness and confrontation with large crowds of charged demonstrators. Having a firearm at the wrong place could lead to escalations and possible violation of laws. Such occurrences give firearm owners a bad reputation, thus playing into the hands of gun control extremists. Similarly, using a firearm to intimidate is also inexcusable and risky.
Meanwhile, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is pushing universal background checks in our state, and if left unchecked, it will not be long until we see bills like this getting traction in Austin. Texas is embarrassingly ranked 29th for gun rights, and with the help of the political elites in Austin, we will surely rank among New York, California, and Illinois if left to their own devices. Please join our fight today, and help us restore Texas' place as the standard for the U.S.
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