A man was arrested near a rally for Donald Trump in Coachella, California, on Saturday for having a shotgun and a loaded handgun without permission.
The man, 49-year-old Vem Miller, was driving a black SUV when police stopped him at a security checkpoint. They found two guns and a high-capacity magazine in his vehicle.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office said Miller was taken into custody without any problems. After his arrest, he was released and told the media that he supports Trump and did not plan to hurt him.
The U.S. Secret Service confirmed that Trump was safe and that the situation did not affect security at the rally. Sheriff Chad Bianco stated that the safety of Trump and the rally attendees was not at risk.
While the sheriff couldn’t guess Miller’s intentions, he expressed concern that his officers might have stopped a possible assassination attempt. He described Miller as “a lunatic” but noted it would be hard to prove any harmful intent.
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Sheriff Bianco, a Republican who supports Trump, is also helping with Trump’s re-election campaign. Miller expressed shock at being arrested and denied he meant to harm Trump. He said he usually carries guns in his vehicle but has never used them.
Miller was charged with two minor weapon offenses and released on $5,000 bail. No federal charges were filed against him, and officials stated there is no evidence of an assassination attempt.
At a press conference, Sheriff Bianco explained the events that led to Miller’s arrest. He said Miller seemed allowed to be near the rally at first, but there were problems once he got closer, such as a homemade license plate and a messy vehicle.
The sheriff also mentioned that multiple passports and driver’s licenses with different names were found in the SUV. The homemade license plate suggested a link to a group called Sovereign Citizens, which is known for anti-government beliefs. Miller denied being part of this group.
