Two people in a massive pickup truck—with a Donald Trump "Make America Great Again" flag next to the United States flag flying from the back—drove around a pro-immigrant rally at Terry Schrunk Plaza in downtown Portland this afternoon. The passenger, police say, "displayed a handgun as the driver passed a peaceful demonstration in the park." After pulling them over, the police also found an "AR-15 style rifle" inside that belonged to the driver.
Only the passenger, identified as 20-year-old Sergey E Antonov of Battle Ground, Washington, was arrested. He was booked on one count of second degree disorderly conduct. His gun, police later learned, was a BB gun. He'll be arraigned at 1:45 pm tomorrow.
The driver's "AR-15 style rifle" was temporarily "taken for safekeeping." The driver wasn't charged with a crime.
The truck was stopped on the corner of SW 4th and Salmon, two blocks from the rally decrying President Donald Trump's recent executive order banning people from seven predominantly Muslim countries from entering the US.
After covering the rally, the Mercury witnessed Portland police officers taking down the Trump and US flags from the back of the truck and watched as they searched the car. Before we arrived on the scene, witnesses saw officers take out the rifle and put in the back of a squad car.
@dougbrown8@itsmikebivinspic.twitter.com/JGqmehb87m
— Jeremy Frank (@RemejyKnarf) January 30, 2017
Portland police surrounded this pickup truck, took down Trump flag. Word is it was circling the pro-immigrant rally, and that cops found gun pic.twitter.com/SIFVlDIoAN
— doug brown (@dougbrown8) January 30, 2017
Here’s a picture (a bystander took) of the gun PPB seized from the Trump truck circling the pro-immigrant rally. pic.twitter.com/40QOarv9GV
— doug brown (@dougbrown8) January 30, 2017
@dougbrown8@itsmikebivinspic.twitter.com/Qd6cNNCQso
— Jeremy Frank (@RemejyKnarf) January 30, 2017
Police arrest 2 men circling immigration rally with Trump flag on their truck. Unclear what charges they face. pic.twitter.com/g2mWSJQ3t6
— Jamie Wilson (@JWilsonreporter) January 30, 2017
