Denver Police Arrest Suspect Linked to Assault at Protest

Authorities in Denver have taken a suspect into custody following an incident at the “No Kings” protest over the weekend.

On Saturday, footage emerged on social media depicting middle-aged Trump supporters disrupting the “No Kings” rally in the vicinity of Denver, while also hurling homophobic insults.

“You son of a bitch! Get on your bike, you son of a bitch!” yelled an unidentified man clad in a New York Giants shirt at a nearby protester.

The video then captured a young man with a skateboard swiping the MAGA supporter’s sunglasses and sprinting away. Laughter erupted among several protesters as the man chased after him to reclaim his shades.

According to reports, the man got up after falling but continued to engage with protesters, hitting some in the process, until he was tripped by another individual wearing a hooded sweatshirt. He then stumbled again, sustaining visible cuts on his face, but managed to push further into the crowd before being told to leave.

Drew Kurtos, who recorded the event, remarked that the assailant seemed intoxicated and expressed concern that the situation might escalate, stating, “Two wrongs don’t make a right.” He noticed the group appeared to be drunk and mentioned, “Something seemed off. There was some shoving, and then this kid swoops in to grab the guy’s glasses.”

“There’s really no place for hate speech or homophobic slurs,” Kurtos emphasized. “It’s just unwise to provoke people at demonstrations.”

In the aftermath, 20-year-old Jose Cardenas was arrested on suspicion of second-degree assault, reportedly evading police before being apprehended. The main instigator, however, has not faced charges, as the police indicated that the offensive remarks fell under free speech protections.

A police spokesperson noted, “The inflammatory remarks are protected as freedom of speech. The victim was not arrested.”

TMZ later reported that authorities confirmed Cardenas was the person who tripped the man, leading to “significant lacerations” on his head. Witnesses had identified Cardenas as the assailant, and he was subsequently taken to Denver Jail and charged with aggravated assault.

As of now, the individual who took the sunglasses remains at large.