Driver yells at Black Lives Matter mural bystanders, then returns with gun, CA cops say
A man in Martinez, California, was charged with multiple criminal counts after pointing a gun at a bystander near a Black Lives Matter mural, officials said on Thursday.
Joseph Osuna was charged with two felonies — “unlawful firearm activity and possessing a firearm not registered to the owner,” according to Bay Area News Group, citing district attorney spokesman Scott Alonso. Osuna also faces a misdemeanor charge for “allegedly exhibiting a concealed weapon,” according to the publication.
Osuna was arrested on July 5 after witnesses said he yelled “All lives matter” while driving past the BLM mural painted outside Justice Wakefield Taylor Courthouse, CBS San Francisco reported. Osuna, 30, is accused of getting out of the car and pointing a loaded gun at a bystander, the outlet reported.
Osuna was stopped by police and taken to Martinez Detention Facility, according to CBS San Francisco.
The gun wasn’t registered in his name, the San Francisco Chronicle reported, citing police.
Osuna faces up to three years in prison if convicted, according to the publication.
“Fortunately, an officer was in that area, and a citizen flagged the officer down and was able to point out the suspect,” police Sgt. Steve Gaul said, according to CBS San Francisco.
Another incident related to the mural led to hate crime charges for a man and a woman.
Nicole Anderson, 42, and David Nelson, 53, were charged with violation of civil rights, possessing tools to commit vandalism, and vandalism, according to a news release issued by the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office.
A video showed them painting over the mural on July 5, according to the release. Anderson dumps black paint on the street and begins painting over the letters.
“We’re sick of this narrative,” Nelson said in the video. “That’s the problem. The narrative of police brutality, the narrative of oppression, the narrative of racism. It’s a lie. No one wants Black Lives Matter here.”
“Approval of the use of our streets sends a message to all that African Americans and other people of color are equal members of our community and hateful rhetoric will be actively rejected by our city,” Mayor Rob Schroder said in a statement, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
The mural was approved after residents pointed to the anti-Black Lives Matter fliers in Martinez, according to the publication.
This story was originally published July 16, 2020 at 5:56 PM with the headline "Driver yells at Black Lives Matter mural bystanders, then returns with gun, CA cops say."