A man caught on tape pointing a bow and arrow at Salt Lake City protesters back in May has pleaded guilty to two charges. (Photo: Sean Moody, KSL)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — The Salt Lake City Police Department is screening potential charges against the man who threatened protesters with a bow-and-arrow on Saturday.
KSL NewsRadio received tips from witnesses on the man’s identity as Brandon McCormick — which the station was able to verify through social media accounts.
The Salt Lake Tribune has also named the man as McCormick, with the Deseret News identifying him as a 62-year-old Taylorsville man with a police record.
The man armed with a hunting bow-and-arrow, and possibly a knife, drove his SUV up to demonstrators and threatened them, according to witnesses.
The man allegedly proclaimed “all lives matter” before emerging from his vehicle and pointing the weapon at groups of people. The man hasn’t refuted video footage that shows him with the weapon.
“I came down here to back the police up,” he explained. “I did have weapons in my car to back the police up.”
SLCPD Chief Mike Brown said in a video message yesterday that their first thought was for his safety. That’s because after brandishing the weapon, protesters flipped his car and started it on fire. Cops later pulled him out of the crowd, offered aid and obtained his identity.
News reports on May 7 say he was charged with assault in Taylorsville Justice Court. According to police, the charge stems from a suspected road rage incident.
According to public records, he also has a criminal history in California.
Chief Brown calls the man showing up with his weapon “troubling” and a “horrible situation.” Now, cops are asking those who witnessed the ordeal first-hand to contact them as they screen charges against the man.
Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall also added that the man would be charged. At this time, she’s asking Brown to give her a “thorough after-action review” of how officers handled the protesting on Saturday. She’s encouraging anyone who felt they weren’t treated well by police to file a complaint so the Citizen Review Board can look into it.