Jacob Daniel Bracken, 38, has been charged with assault with a deadly weapon after being caught on video, pointing an assault rifle at a large crowd of protesters. The man was accused of drawing his gun on a large group of protestors, protesting at Euclid Avenue and Foothill Boulevard. In the video, Bracken can be heard yelling, “Back the f**k up!” while holding a rifle.
Confirmed- man pulls AR-15 on protesters in #Upland. #NBCLA pic.twitter.com/nEZOn3fpMS
— AlexVnews (@alexvnews) June 2, 2020
A witness stated that last week (June 1) that they saw someone walking across the street to join the protestors, and then they were “rushed.” When the witness had turned around, he saw Bracken, who he claimed to know, reportedly wielding the rifle.
Another protester that was there during the incident mentioned that he witnessed nothing “but hate and racism,” as the large crowd attempted to peacefully protest.
“What this person did was unacceptable,” Upland Police Chief Darren Goodman said in an interview with NBCLA. “I would hope that people could accept [the differences] of opinion and different views without taking a violent position, just like I hope the protesters can learn to continue to be peaceful in their protests and not destroy property.”
#Upland– Jacob Bracken the man accused of pulling an assault rifle on protestors in #Upland on Monday has been charged with two counts of assault with a deadly weapon. I sat down with @UplandPD_Chief to get his reaction to the charges. #NBCLA pic.twitter.com/vmwMFmwppW
— AlexVnews (@alexvnews) June 3, 2020
After the incident, protestors called Upland police.
Now, the 38-year-old man is facing up to four years in prison or 6 months in the county jail for his crime. NBC Los Angeles mentions he could also be fined for up to $10,000 if convicted as charged.
In an official statement, the police of the Upland Police Department stated:
“Thankfully, through the restraint of the protestors and the swift investigation by the Upland Police Department, a potential tragedy may have been avoided.”
