A man has been arrested while trying to enter a Donald Trump rally in what police say is the third attempt on the former president’s life in as many months.
Police apprehended Vem Miller, 49, in a black SUV around 5pm about half a mile from the rally in Coachella, California.
The suspect was allegedly found to be in possession of a shotgun, loaded handgun and a high-capacity magazine. When stopped by cops at a checkpoint, he initially presented them with fake VIP and press passes.
‘They were different enough to cause the deputies alarm,’ Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco told local media following the arrest.
Sheriff Bianco said he ‘truly believed’ his officers had prevented a third assassination attempt on the former president, describing Miller as a ‘lunatic’.
‘We probably stopped another assassination attempt,’ he added, though also admitted that it could be impossible to prove Miller’s intent.
Sheriff Bianco added that Miller, a Las Vegas resident, was part of a far-right anti-government group and believed himself to be a ‘sovereign citizen’ exempt from government control.
In a separate press conference, the Sheriff said the suspect approached the outside perimeter, ‘gave all indications that he was allowed to be there, he was allowed through that outer perimeter,’ and that ‘many irregularities that popped up’ as he attempted to get closer.
The interior of the vehicle was in ‘quite disarray and had a fake license plate which prompted further investigation’, he says.
When asked by a reporter if his assassination remarks were ‘dramatic, the Sheriff responded: ‘We have a serious, serious problem in this country, because this is common sense and reason’.
Miller was charged with two misdemeanour weapons charges and was released on a $5,000 (£3,826) bail. No federal charges have been filed, the BBC reports.
The Secret Service put out a brief statement on the incident, saying it was aware of the arrest.
‘The incident did not impact protective operations. The Secret Service extends its gratitude to the deputies and local partners who assisted in safeguarding last night’s events,’ they said.
In July, a would-be assassin came within inches of killing the former president at a rally in Pennsylvania, grazing his ear with an AR-15 style assault rifle.
Two months later, Secret Service agents arrested a suspect who was allegedly camped outside a golf course owned by Trump in Florida with a high-powered SKS assault rifle on September 15.
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