FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — 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.
The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office said John Franklin McGraw, 78, of Linden, was charged with assault and disorderly conduct. Officials said the assault victim was being escorted out of the Crown Coliseum after disrupting the rally, and deputies had their eyes on the stairs when the assault happened.
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.
The television program “Inside Edition” said it interviewed McGraw after the incident happened.
“Yes, he deserved it,” the man says on the video. “The next time we see him, we might have to kill him. We don’t know who he is. He might be with a terrorist organization.”
The man who was punched, Rakeem Jones, told The Associated Press that he and others attended the event as observers, not protesters.
