Pennsylvania police said Tuesday that the actions of a President Donald Trump supporter who drew his gun on a man that tried to knock away his “Make America Great Again” hat appeared to be justified.
An altercation between the two men in a Wilkes-Barre mall on Dec. 30 triggered concerns about a potential active shooter, the Associated Press reported.
According to police, a suspected assailant threatened to harm the Trump supporter if he didn’t remove his hat and then attempted to slap it off his head.
That’s when the Trump supporter drew his firearm and pointed it toward the floor.
The other man fled the scene, authorities said.
The incident sparked alarm in the community, as residents feared a mass shooting.
But police said on social media that there was no active shooter and that the man who drew his weapon appeared to be justified, a local Wilkes-Barre news outlet reported.
Wilkes-Barre Township Police Chief Will Clark told the Citizens’ Voice that the Trump supporter was the victim.
“The individual was wearing a hat in support of Donald Trump,” Clark said. “Apparently, the man told him to take the hat off. He refused. The individual threatened to assault him. The actor then took a swipe at the hat to knock it off his head. At that point, the victim backed up and drew his weapon and pointed it at the ground. The guy took off.”
Clark attributed the incident to a political disagreement and said the suspected assailant was “obviously not a proponent of Donald Trump.”
The victim had a concealed-carry permit, police said.
And while the mall has a policy of not allowing open or concealed carry, the altercation took place outside the building.
Police are taking no action against the Trump supporter, but are looking for the other man.
*story by Pluralist