Video: Woman Brandishes Firearm in Front of Counter-Protesters?
By Greg Pruett • July 24, 2020While the 2nd “Defund the Police” event had less physical confrontations than the previous one, there are still some charges being filed.
Boise police have announced that four juveniles and two adults could face citations or charges for incidents that occurred during the protest and counter-protest in Boise.
No names of the individuals involved have been released. Most of the issues do not seem serious in nature.
However, one woman could face a potential weapons charge.
There were a lot of firearms at the capitol and Boise city hall on Tuesday. Idaho is well-known for the number of firearms owned by citizens.
Despite Idaho’s gun-friendly status as a state, there are still laws that prohibit certain actions with firearms by citizens.
One law that is specifically prohibited is brandishing. Idaho code uses the word “Exhibition” instead of brandishing but the words mean the same thing in this case.
Here is what Idaho Code 18-3303 says,
18-3303. EXHIBITION OR USE OF DEADLY WEAPON. Every person who, not in necessary self-defense, in the presence of two (2) or more persons, draws or exhibits any deadly weapon in a rude, angry and threatening manner, or who, in any manner, unlawfully uses the same, in any fight or quarrel, is guilty of a misdemeanor.
A video posted online does show a woman pulling a gun from her backpack while she is walking and people walking behind her and chants of “All Lives Matter!”
Did the woman pull or exhibit her weapon in a threatening, rude, or angry manner?
First, we want to show you the video we have gotten permission to share. The video is shared with permission from Donny Wilson who recorded the video.
Be advised that strong language is used in the video.
As with many of these videos, the video starts just before the brandishing occurs so it is difficult to know what may or may not have transpired prior to this incident.
In the video, you can see the woman reach into her bag and pull out a firearm.
After she pulls the firearm from the bag, she holds it in her left hand. She does not appear to point the firearm at anyone during the incident. The individuals following the woman immediately noticed that she pulled her firearm from the bag and started yelling for a police officer.
A number of people online said they agreed the woman brandished a firearm but also criticized the people walking behind her.
Here is a screenshot of some of those comments:
We spoke with Donny Wilson who was the individual recording the incident to get his response.
Specifically, we asked him why the video starts where it does.
Wilson told Idaho Dispatch,
There is more to the video. I had to trim the video down so I could send it to the reporting police officer’s phone as evidence. I’m not really that savvy on editing and was just making sure they(police) received the part of the video they needed. I was just recording things as they happened because the last protests lack video from the counter-protest side. We were HOPING to be able to shed some light on the truth about what happens “inside” these protests.
We also asked Wilson why it appears as though they are following the woman in question.
Wilson said they did begin to film her. Here is what Wilson told Idaho Dispatch about why they started recording the woman,
She came across the street, into the side that Mayor McLean had separated for counter-protesters, and was really upset about people waving flags and started antagonizing people, getting into their personal spaces, and yelling threats. I heard the commotion and started filming.
Finally, we asked Wilson if the people right behind the woman chanting “All Lives Matter” were the only ones chanting the phrase. Wilson told us,
No, there were quite a few, although not all. Some prefer not to chant at all, that were chanting. It kind of all stopped when we started to call for the police. It kinda took the attention away as you could imagine it would.
According to Wilson, he is trying to get the full video from his phone to give people more clarity on the situation.
The woman is seen in the video wearing a shirt that says “Please I Can’t Breath, Justice for George Floyd.”
We do not know officially if she is a member of Black Lives Matter but does not appear to be a counter-protester. Idaho Dispatch reached out to the Boise chapter of Black Lives Matter for clarification and have not yet heard back from them.
One of the people walking behind her and using a bullhorn is Cin from Idaho Liberty Dogs. Because Cin was part of the counter-protest movement, our presumption is that the woman in question is not a counter-protester.
If Wilson releases the remainder of the video we will update the article accordingly.
We do want to note that some media outlets are discussing an incident where a woman “pointed” a gun at a crowd of people.
It is unclear if there is another incident that happened. The article from KTVB states that police are alleging the gun was pointed at someone.
However, Wilson told us, and the video confirms, that she did not point a gun at anyone during the incident.
What do you think of this incident? Did the woman brandish a firearm or did she not pull the firearm in a way that was threatening or rude?
Let us know in the comments below.
Tags: Black Lives Matter, Boise Police, Brandishing, Counter-Protest
14 thoughts on “Video: Woman Brandishes Firearm in Front of Counter-Protesters?”
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As far as what was shown in the video – not brandishing. It’s not illegal to hold a firearm in your hand, so long as you are not recklessly pointing it at other people or “waiving it around” in a careless manner. Simply holding a firearm in your hand is not “brandishing.”
That is the second time she pulled it out. Right before/as she crossed the street she pulled the gun and was waving it around as she shouted “I can carry a gun too”. That is definitely brandishing. That was the commotion that the video taker was referring too, that he did not witness. The police were already watching her from across the street.
Seems to me she felt threatened enough to need to be armed. This is what happens when you go into high energy situations like protests. Now compare what she did to Mrs. McCloskey who clearly was being threatened in St. Louis and was totally justified in brandishing a pistol. I’d be surprised if she was charged with anything.
Were any of the “counter protesters” at this event holding ARs at the ready? Like that kid back in April(?) that had the “negligent discharge”?
And might the gal in this case been concerned that she was being followed, maybe being harassed by the person with the bullhorn?
I think we should be careful. Do we believe in 2A or not? She didn’t threaten anyone. I might have done the same thing in the same situation. The guy filming is not being friendly to her. He is being aggressive and antagonistic. Liberty is liberty for all, not just those we disagree with.
Damn it I hate to say it but I am on her side for this. She did not threaten anyone and the idiots were harassing her. She was walking away and put the gun in her hand if need be. All reasonable in Idaho. This is getting out of hand on both sides IMHO.
I was there. Yes the energy was high. For the most part the counter protesters where respectful. They stayed on thier side, didn’t drive around flipping people off, and screaming fuck the police. They cheered the police when they walked by. Yas there were heated moments. BLM continued to March across the street w thier fists in the air and come at them being very vulgar, and disrespectful. They threw punches, and pushed. They loved to come over and start shit. So yes Patriots being strong in thier beliefs as well are not going to take being disrespected. I did not see what happened with these three people. They may not have been doing anything wrong. I can’t say. They have every right to peacefully walk where ever without being harassed. The police presence was strong. Every 8 feet a cop was posted on both sides of the street, as well as groups patrolling. There was no need to pull her gun, yes it is her right.
I don’t support Black Lives Matter because it does not unite people and it’s a Marxist movement. But… I think this woman was harassed by counter protesters and she did not threaten anyone… our 2nd amendment rights belong to all of us. That’s what Was shown on the video anyway. We would really only know if we were there. We need to start talking kindly and trying to listen to each other.
Watching this video, I really think the girl did nothing wrong. I don’t agree with BLM as they are a horrible marxist group. However, I believe she was within her rights, just as every Patriot carrying that night was. If there is more to the video, I would like to see it. I would have felt threatened in that situation and possibly would have done exactly what she did. She was very much within her 2A rights in the State of Idaho.
Her behavior was not wrong and as seen in video did not brandish her weapon. She carried it. People need to understand the legal definitions of laws. We are a nation of laws not emotions.
I feel you should take your own advise… She pulled that gun to intimidate. Why else would she have removed the gun from her holster. No one was threatening her. She exhibited a firearm in a rude\threatening manner. Why did she put it away when they started yelling for an officer?
That is the second time she pulled it out. Right before/as she crossed the street she pulled the gun and was waving it around as she shouted “I can carry a gun too”. That is definitely brandishing. That was the commotion that the video taker was referring too, that he did not witness. The police were already watching her from across the street. I witnessed it all and was feet away from her the first time she drew her firearm. Removing your handgun from your holster is not acceptable in public. No one threatened her the first time. As far as I can see no one threatened her the second time. Chanting different opinions don’t constitute threats.
Book her in jail. A sensible person does not display a firearm twice at the scene of a demonstration where the tensions are high. She used poor judgement and was an idiot.
She walked on the counter protesters side several times, back and forth, antagonizing everyone there, every time, by intentionally yelling rude and racist comments to the patriots. I heard several of her rude and racist comments, several times, each time she walked up and down the sidewalk on the patriots side. Her racist comments were geared towards whites and our cause. BLM had their area and we had ours. We did not go into their area and antagonized them at all. If a patriot were to walk on BLM’s/Antfa’s area and yell rude and racist comments to them, towards blacks and their cause, I highly doubt that person would walk away unharmed.