BREAKING: Riverside County Sheriff says his deputies probably prevented Trump assassination attempt, suspect calls accusation 'complete bullsh*t'
Sherrif Chad Bianco of Riverside County, California held a press conference on Sunday evening to address the arrest of Vem Miller inside the perimeter surrounding Donald Trump's Coachella rally on Saturday. Miller was arrested and found to have questionable credentials along with two guns and ammunition for guns in his car.
Bianco had previously said that he believed his deputies had thwarted a third assassination attempt on Trump. Sources close to the campaign told Fox News that there had been no attempt on Trump's life. Miller spoke with
Southern California News Group on Sunday and said he was "shocked" to have been arrested and accused of wanting to harm the former president.
"These accusations are complete bullsh*t," Miller said. "I’m an artist, I’m the last person that would cause any violence and harm to anybody."
"There has been a lot of media stir," Bianco began, "beginning last night with social media, and futher today about the arrest."
"So to begin with," he told reporters, "yesterday afternoon, before President Trump arrived to the rally, we made contact with an individual on the inner perimeter of our operation at the rally. As you can imagine, this as a very large event in regard to the previous attempts on the former president's life. This was not something we were taking lightly." Bianco said he and his deputies had detailed plans in place to protect Trump and the supporters who were in attendance.
"If you're asking me right now, I probably did have deputies that prevented the 3rd assassination attempt" he said.
The Secret Service later released a statement saying after their assessement, "the incident did not impact protective operations and former President Trump was not in any danger. While no federal arrest has been made at this time, the investigation is ongoing." They expressed their thanks to local law enforcement officials.
To access the perimeter a person needed to have "documentation that said you were going to this rally in the form of an email with VIP credentials or press credentials." No other vehicles, he said, were allowed in.
As to the man who was arrested, Bianco said that as "he approached the outside of the perimeter," he "gave all indications that he belonged there, that he was, that he had, that he was a participant that was allowed to get into VIP and to—and a press corps." However, as he entered the inner perimeter, Bianco said, where a more thorugh investigation would take place by deputies before individuals were allowed into the event itself, "there were many irregularities that popped up."
Bianco said that the "interior of the vehicle was in quite disarray. The vehicle had an obviously fake license plate, and that prompted further investigation from our deputy." As part of that investigation, multiple drivers licences were found with different names, it was discovered that the car was not registered, two guns and ammunition for those guns were found, and that the man, named as Vem Miller, was likley part of the sovereign citizens group.
Miller was taken into custody, booked and arrested on fire arms charges, and while he was released, he is expected to appear in court. Bianco said that his office is working with the FBI and Secret Service "to ensure that this person is followed up on and and all of the information that they can gather." If there are additional charges, they would be federal.
The first reporter to ask a question said that he has spoken to Miller and that he'd said that "accusations" that was he was attempting to assassinate Trump were "complete bullsh*t." Miller, the reporter said, relayed to him that he had "a special access pass" and that he'd told deputies he had firearms in his trunk "as a courtesy."
Bianco said he was "not really concerned with the statement that he gave the media after he was released from custody."
A second reporter asked what about the incident made Bianco say that he believed it had been a third assassination attempt and Bianco said "I don't remember saying that, but it certainly would be something I did say."
When asked about the suspect's background and political party, which appears to be Republican, Bianco said "I couldn't care less what political party he belongs to. I honestly, I think that's the stupidest thing in the world, that we have to label something, and we're labeling this as politics. He was a lunatic." Miller was released on $5,000 bond.
"He was, in, from my perspective, in law enforcement, he was it's that group, if, in fact, it turns out that he is part of of the sovereign sovereign citizens group," Bianco said.
"They are certainly considered a far right group. I wouldn't from, in my own personal belief, I wouldn't say it's a militant group. It's just a group that doesn't believe in government and government control. They don't believe that the government and laws apply to them. So I think it's, it's fringe, one way or the other. I couldn't care less. It's, it's, it's people trying to do harm, and thank God we prevented it."
? If yes, he was a far right christofascist gun nut who intended to kill Trump. If not, he's an innocent young man who dindu nothin.
