FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (AP) – A white Donald Trump rally attendee was charged with assault Thursday after he was caught on video hitting a black man being escorted by deputies from the venue, authorities said.
A news release from the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office said John Franklin McGraw, 78, of Linden, was charged with assault and disorderly conduct after the rally for the Republican presidential front-runner Wednesday in Fayetteville.
The release said the assault victim was being escorted out of Crown Coliseum after disrupting the rally, and deputies had their eyes on the stairs when the assault happened.
“The deputies who did not see the assault continued up the steps with the victim, who was ultimately escorted from the Coliseum,” the news release said.
McGraw was arrested Thursday after investigators reviewed a video posted on social media. Videos from the event show a man with a pony tail and cowboy hat hitting a black man being escorted from the seating area.