A 36-year-old Portland, Oregon man claiming to be a journalist was caught on camera pointing a gun at Black Lives Matter protesters at a rally last Thursday.
The man, identified as Michael Strickland, is behind bars facing two felony charges.
According to reports by Oregon’s FOX 12, the man was recording video for YouTube when he allegedly felt threatened by protesters. He warned them to back off but they did not heed his warning so he pulled out a handgun. Strickland believed the protesters had weapons but that was never confirmed.
“What happened was there were 10 or 12 people that surrounded me. They started pushing and shoving me. They were using their flagstaffs as weapons,” Strickland told FOX 12 prior to the arrest last Thursday. “I’m backing up. They kept coming towards me, they kept coming towards me. That’s why I drew.”
The news report says Strickland had five magazines on his person and a pocket knife when officers arrested him last week. He also confronted mourners at an Orlando Pulse shooting vigil last month, per FOX 12.
The 36-year-old is currently being held on $250,000 bail.
