- A Trump supporter confronted protestors at a Berkeley Tesla store, resulting in a chaotic clash.
- An older woman taking part in the protest grabbed the man by the hair before police intervened
- Police arrested the man, but he was issued only a citation and not charged with assault.
An anti-Tesla protest outside one of the carmaker’s stores in Berkeley, California, escalated into a heated confrontation between demonstrators and a local Trump supporter over the weekend. The clash resulted in the arrest of one man, and with protests against Tesla gaining momentum across the USA and beyond, incidents like this are becoming increasingly likely.
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Footage captured by a local reporter shows 33-year-old Rick Fuze, a Berkeley resident and e-bike repair shop owner, arriving at the protest on his e-bike. Fuze was blaring music and broadcasting pro-Trump messages as he cruised up to the group. This wasn’t Fuze’s first attempt to disrupt protests at the same Tesla store, as he’s been known to film his interventions for his YouTube channel.
This time, however, the protestors weren’t having it. The video shows Fuze riding down the street before several individuals step in front of him, blocking his path. In response, Fuze pulls out a taser and brandishes it in the faces of two protesters. One of them, Susan Kegeles, immediately reacts, yanking Fuze by the hair in an attempt to defend herself. Police officers at the scene quickly intervened, arresting Fuze and escorting him away from the conflict.
The video, shared by Berkeleyside, also shows one of the police officers speaking with a protestor immediately after the rest. He can be heard saying, “He [Fuze] tased somebody,” before adding, “he had a taser, and he was tasing people.”
Fuze Defends Himself
Fuze, however, denied the claims. He reportedly told officers that he “didn’t tase anyone” and had only “pulled it out to protect myself.” Speaking at the scene, Berkeley Police Lt. Steve Rego said Fuze could be charged with brandishing a weapon or assault, but only if the taser actually touched someone. It doesn’t appear as though anyone was actually struck by the taser. Writing on YouTube after the arrest, Fuze said he was issued a citation but was not charged.
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It doesn’t appear that any action has been taken against Kegeles, despite her aggressive response toward Fuze, which led to the physical altercation. Police stepped in to break up the scuffle, but no charges against her have been reported.