A man carrying loaded pistols and spare ammunition was detained Friday after impersonating a U.S. marshal at one of Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s campaign events in Los Angeles.
In a post to X, formerly known as Twitter, Kennedy detailed the incident and expressed appreciation for the security guards at the Hispanic Heritage event who “moved quickly to isolate and detain the man.”
“I’m very grateful that alert and fast-acting protectors from Gavin de Becker and Associates (GDBA) spotted and detained an armed man who attempted to approach me at my Hispanic Heritage speech at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles tonight,” Kennedy wrote.
“The man, wearing two shoulder holsters with loaded pistols and spare ammunition magazines was carrying a U.S. Marshal badge on a lanyard and beltclip federal ID. He identified himself as a member of my security detail. Armed GDBA team members moved quickly to isolate and detain the man until LAPD arrived to make the arrest. I’m also grateful to LAPD for its rapid response.”
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Photos of the individual who was arrested at the event were shared by Kennedy on social media. The unidentified perpetrator was shown wearing a black shirt with a logo reading “Emergency Medical Services.”
Kennedy, a Democrat who announced a primary challenge to President Biden earlier this year, also noted that he has yet to receive Secret Service protection.
“I’m still entertaining a hope that President Biden will allow me Secret Service protection,” Kennedy added in the post. “I am the first presidential candidate in history to whom the White House has denied a request for protection.”
In July, Kennedy claimed his request for Secret Service protection as a 2024 presidential candidate was rejected by the Biden administration.
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“Typical turnaround time for pro forma protection requests from presidential candidates is 14-days,” Kennedy wrote at the time in a lengthy statement posted on X. “After 88-days of no response and after several follow-ups by our campaign, the Biden Administration just denied our request.”
Kennedy said he received a message from Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas that read, “I have determined that Secret Service protection for Robert F Kennedy Jr is not warranted at this time.”
On its website, the Secret Service notes that it protects “major presidential and vice presidential candidates and their spouses within 120 days of a general presidential election.”
The site of the Kennedy campaign event where the individual was arrested is located less than two miles away from the previous site of The Ambassador Hotel, where Robert F. Kennedy was shot and killed in June 1968.
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The killing of Kennedy Jr.’s father at the Los Angeles hotel came nearly five years after his uncle, former President John F. Kennedy, was assassinated in Dallas in November 1963.
Fox News’ Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
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