by A Trump supporter clashed with protesters near a Tesla store in Berkeley, leading to a chaotic confrontation.
An elderly woman participating in the protest grabbed the man by his hair until the police intervened.
The police arrested the man, but he received only a violation notice and was not charged with assault.
An anti-Trump protest outside one of the car manufacturer’s stores in Berkeley, California, turned into a fierce confrontation between demonstrators and a local Trump supporter last weekend. This clash resulted in the arrest of one man, and given that protests against Tesla are gaining momentum across the US and beyond, such incidents are becoming increasingly likely.
Video footage taken by a local journalist shows 33-year-old Rick Fuse, a Berkeley resident and owner of an electric bike repair shop, arriving at the protest on his electric bike. Fuse loudly played music and broadcast pro-Trump messages as he approached the group. This was not Fuse’s first attempt to intimidate protesters outside the same Tesla store, as he is known for always filming his interventions for his YouTube channel.
This time, however, people couldn’t take it. The video shows Fuse riding down the street before several individuals stand in front of him, blocking his path. In response, Fuse pulls out a stun gun and waves it in front of two protesters’ faces. One of them, Susan Kageles, immediately reacts by pulling Fuse by the hair in an attempt to protect herself. The police on the scene quickly intervened, arresting Fuse and escorting him away from the conflict.
The video, which has been shared, also shows one of the police officers speaking with a protester immediately after the scuffle: “He [Fuse] brandished a stun gun,” adding, “he had a stun gun, and he was waving it.”
Fuse defends himself
However, Fuse denied these allegations. Reportedly, he told the police that he “did not use the stun gun” and only “pulled it out to defend himself.” Speaking at the scene, Berkeley Police Lieutenant Steve Rego stated that Fuse could be charged with threatening with a weapon or assault, but only if the stun gun actually touched someone. It appears that no one was actually injured by the stun gun. Writing on YouTube after the arrest, Fuse said he was issued a notice but not arrested.
It seems that no actions were taken against Kageles, despite her aggressive reaction to Fuse, which led to the physical altercation. The police intervened to break up the confrontation, but no charges against her were reported.
