A man is arrested during the “No Kings” demonstration in Las Vegas, but he questions the accusation.
Court records show Andrew Stafford was arrested on Saturday, June 14, and faces one charge of assault with a deadly weapon. A News 3 video showed policemen arresting Stafford after a demonstrator, who did not want to be recognized, reported seeing Stafford with a knife during the rally.
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“Guy makes it all the way to the other side of the road with no traffic there – I’m shouting at people to get away from the guy with a knife. I’m shouting at the cops to come get the guy with a knife.”
Stafford was detained outside his unit at the Villa Inn Motel, but he claimed he used a knife in self-defense and had never participated in the event.
“I was walking back from the casino because I was cashing a winning basketball ticket,” Stafford said. “I stopped and asked somebody (about it) he was like, ‘are you a Trump supporter?’ I told him – I was like, I could care less. I’m a felon. I can’t vote, you know, so Republican, Democrat, I don’t really mind, like, it makes no difference to me.”
He stated that the situation swiftly deteriorated when someone asked if he was an anti-protester.
“I didn’t attack them or do anything,” Stafford said. “Like 10 or 20 people surrounded me, and one threw a punch at me, and I stepped back, and he missed,” Stafford said. “And so I tried to swing at him, and then they all started grabbing me, and like five of them maced me. So, I started running away, and they were trying to drag me back across the street, and eventually I got away.”
Stafford admits to pulling a knife during the commotion.
“I pulled out a knife to defend myself, you know, because I was scared,” Stafford said. “I thought I was gonna get jumped because they were going nuts, and then – so they were like, he’s got a knife, he’s got a knife. And I’m running across the street. I make it halfway up the stairs, and I just have Metro, just smash me. I thought it broke my chest plate, my shoulder.”
Stafford claimed he is still healing from Saturday’s events, which included attempting to extract mace from his face and eyes.
“I’m still shaking from it, and my face is still burning,” Stafford said. “I’ve washed it 100 times.”
Stafford stated that he is prepared to defend himself in court, and records show that his preliminary hearing is planned for July 15.
