After the incident involving an armed man allegedly claiming to be a U.S. Marshal, Mr. Kennedy Jr. renewed his call for Secret Service protection.
LOS ANGELES—An armed man was arrested by police at an event attended by Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Photos provided to The Epoch Times show the man, who was wearing a shirt with “EMS” on the back, being held in handcuffs by police officers outside the event venue in Los Angeles on Friday afternoon. Multiple police vehicles were at the scene.
Mr. Kennedy Jr. was scheduled to speak at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre, located at 4401 West 8th Street, to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. The event was held at 4–8 p.m. PT.
The Los Angeles Police Department told The Epoch Times it received a call at around 4:30 p.m. reporting that a male was in front of the event venue with “a badge on their lapel, a gun, and a shoulder holster, and claimed to be a U.S. Marshal.”
A spokesperson for Mr. Kennedy Jr. confirmed the incident to The Epoch Times. Mr. Kennedy Jr. had not arrived at the venue yet when the incident occurred.
According to the LAPD, the man reportedly claimed to be employed for the event, but he wasn’t recognized by the security staff.
A written note provided by an LAPD officer on the scene to a representative of the campaign, and obtained by The Epoch Times, states: “Male imp. fed. agent w/ handgun and ammo exposed … claimed to be employed for event, but wasn’t recognized by sec.”
An LAPD spokesperson further told The Epoch Times Friday night that the FBI might take over the investigation and that further details of potential charges are unavailable until the suspect is officially booked. Follow-up inquiries from The Epoch Times to the LAPD have not been returned as of Saturday morning.
Mr. Kennedy Jr. expressed on Friday night his gratitude for the prompt action taken by the event’s security team and the police to ensure his safety.
By Mimi Nguyen Ly and Rudy Blalock
