Jury deliberations begin after rally clash between antifa, Trump supporters
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SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Jury deliberations are underway in the case involving two members of an anti-fascist group who allegedly clashed with supporters of former President Donald Trump during a rally, turned violent, in Pacific Beach on January 9, 2021.
The District Attorney’s office has said during that rally, people were attacked using mace, tasers, and physical violence, and some had thrown items at officers.
The two men on trial, 41-year-old Jeremy White and 27-year-old Brian Cortez Lightfoot Jr., had traveled from Los Angeles County to allegedly partake in the counter-protest.
The future of the two men now lies in the hands of 12 jurors from San Diego.
Lightfoot and White are on trial for their alleged violent involvement including allegedly having weapons, using teargas and attacking people. The two are charged with conspiracy to commit a riot, along with various assault charges.
“This huge group dressed in black, they are incredibly intimidating … many of them have weapons,” Deputy District Attorney Makenzie Harvey said during her closing arguments to the jury on Tuesday afternoon. “Are they part of the group that is doing the attacking? Absolutely.”
The prosecution claims White was captured on video spraying a man and his dog with mace during the march. That video was shown during the first day of trial.
An officer who was at the events that transpired that day undercover, testified on the first day of the trial, claiming that the violence largely came from the antifa group, and not from the supporters of the former president who were there for the rally.
“It’s never a crime to show up to a protest as a medic,” Jeremy White’s attorney said during opening statements of the trial on April 2. “Jeremy white is an activist, he’s been to hundreds of protests and demonstrations.”
“They were here to do violence,” Deputy District Attorney Makenzie Harvey said during her closing arguments on Tuesday.
Nine other people connected to this case have already pleaded guilty as part of a plea deal.
Some are wondering if the outcome of this case could have an impact on how future charges during protests are handled.
While there is no confirmation on how long the jury will deliberate, it is expected to be days, as there are a lot of charges to go over and video evidence, which is hours-long.
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