California man arrested for assaulting elderly Black man over BLM sign
The victim was targeted because of his race and the Black Lives Matter sign displayed on his vehicle
A California man was arrested this week for the assault against an elderly Black man over a Black Lives Matter sign.
Kyle Davis, 35, of Thousand Oaks, reportedly targeted the 70-year-old victim for having the letters BLM displayed on his car, KTLA reports. Davis, clearly triggered by the sign, pulled up next to the man’s vehicle and began shouting racial slurs. He also threw an object at his car before fleeing the scene. The victim was not injured and he immediately reported the hate crime to deputies in Camarillo, Ventura County sheriff’s officials said in a news release.
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“Deputies determined that Davis targeted the victim specifically because of his race and the BLM sign displayed on his vehicle,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
“On April 5, 2021, detectives served a search warrant at Davis’ home in Thousand Oaks. While at the residence, investigators arrested Davis and served him with a gun violence restraining order, which authorized the temporary seizure of firearms, ammunition, and magazines,” the statement continued.
Davis was arrested Monday and booked on suspicion of assault, elder abuse and violating a person’s civil rights. He was released after posting a $50,000 bond, and is scheduled to appear in Ventura Superior Court April 19.
“The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office relentlessly pursues criminals who commit acts of hate against anyone and strongly encourages victims to come forward and report any criminal activity,” the Sheriff’s Office said.
Davis’ arrest comes three months after a Trump supporter in Massachusetts was charged with assault and battery for spitting and coughing on a Black man with a BLM sign in December, theGRIO reported.
Marcus Johnson was counter-protesting at a pro-Trump rally in Swampscott, carrying a sign that read “Black Lives Matter,” when Scott Marberblatt approached him wearing a Trump 2020 hat, yelling, “All lives matter!”
A police officer witnessed the assault, and, according to the original report from TMZ, Marberblatt was “cited” for assault, not immediately arrested. Unwanted touching is classified as assault and battery and is punishable by up to two years in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Johnson was filming the incident, and he captured the entire thing on film. The moment prompted him to get a test for COVID-19, but he was not able to immediately get tested. He self-quarantined, and, when tested a few days later, his result was negative.
Read More: Officers seen dancing at BLM rally later stormed Capitol
In August 2020, a counter-protester pulled out a gun and held a male protester at gunpoint during a Black Lives Matter demonstration at the Capitol building in downtown Tallahassee, Florida. theGRIO reported.
The protester dropped to his knees while holding his hands up in surrender when police arrived on the scene. In video of the moment, the counter-protester hands the police his gun and is handcuffed and arrested. A witness at the scene said the clash began when a counter-protester became argumentative with protesters and began documenting the encounter by taking photos of the protesters’ license plates.
The unidentified man who brandished the weapon and pointed it at the unidentified protester was ultimately released from police custody.
In December it was revealed that a prominent law enforcement training group, International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association (ILEETA), was teaching its officers that BLM is a terroristic organization that uses guerrilla warfare tactics. A document titled the “Understanding Antifa and Urban Guerrilla Warfare” states that radical militants are participating in the movement, the Associated Press reported.
“Antifa and Black Lives Matter have no intentions to negotiate,” the document reads. “These are revolutionary movements whose aims are to overthrow the U.S. government.”
The guide also contains unproven Trump-like conspiracies, such as Black Lives Matter having a financial relationship with the Democratic Party and China.
*Biba Adams and Renee G contributed to this report.
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