Protester says he knocked down Trump supporter, 72, in self-defense
The encounter between the Floridians began with an anti-Trump flag the younger man had on his cart.
A man in his 20s is claiming that he knocked down an elderly Trump supporter in Nocatee, Florida in an act of self-defense.
The confrontation between the Floridians began Saturday with a flag the younger man had on his golf cart that included a profane word. The man was allegedly protesting while Vice President Mike Pence was traveling through the small town after engagements in Orlando and the conservative senior community known as The Villages.
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The situation spiraled after the older man asked the younger one to remove his banner, After their encounter, the younger man fled in his cart, telling a reporter he called police after he felt safe.
“Violence is against everything I believe in,” the younger man told local Jacksonville TV station WJXT. “I only believe in using violence in pure self-defense. I’m not proud of this. I’m not happy that it happened.”
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According to sheriff’s deputies, no charges will be filed in the case.
“I genuinely wish that he did not close that space and swing on me because I did not want to do that,” said the protester. “I did not want to put anybody at risk of falling and hitting their head. He was obviously an older man. I knew that it was going to get twisted and misconstrued. And I just knew it was a disaster. I was just trying to counter-protest peacefully.”
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He said that he gave the older man several warnings before things escalated between the two.
“Get out of my face, or you’re going to get hurt,” the younger man is heard saying on the video.
The older man told the news outlet that he did not seek medical attention. However, they noted that he did have visible bruises on his head and arms.
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“I was kind of stuck down there,” he contended. “As I said, I was kind of out of it for a little while. I didn’t black out, but I did feel disoriented.”
About his opponent, the older gent told WJXT, “I think he has to rethink his whole attitude about things,” he said. “Clearly, this political environment we’re in does not need to resort to violence. In respect of what he said, I did not touch him. If I did anything, it was in a defensive mode.”
Nocatee is located about 30 miles southeast of Jacksonville. The area is described as “family-friendly.”
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