Trump supporter who pulled gun on Black Lives Matter activists claims self-defense

Jun. 15—The Trump supporter who drew a gun as he and his father faced angry Black Lives Matter activists last spring in Manchester went on trial Monday, claiming self-defense.

Mark Kimball, 20, faces three felony criminal threatening charges in Hillsborough County Superior Court in Manchester.

Witnesses on Monday described a tense situation that occurred May 30, 2020, as a crowd of BLM supporters gathered at the Manchester police station in the aftermath of the Minneapolis killing of George Floyd.

During a moment of silence, Kimball and his father drove by in a pickup truck emblazoned with a Trump flag, witnesses said. His father blew the horn, shouting started between the Kimballs and the crowd, and eventually both Kimballs exited the truck with guns in hand.

"They were looking for trouble, and they found it," said J. Bradley Bolton, the assistant Hillsborough County Attorney prosecuting the case.

Testimony started and ended on Monday, and the jury is expected to begin deliberations Tuesday.

Kimball did not testify, and the defense called no witnesses.

His lawyer, Justin Shepherd of Nashua, has based the case on self-defense.

"This was not one or two people. They certainly weren't approaching the truck to make peace," Shepherd said at one point.

The arrests of the Kimballs took place as the state's largest city was on edge in the days following Floyd's death at the hands of a police officer.

The rally at the police station was tense at times, police testified. And other rallies followed in subsequent days, including an alleged riot on South Willow Street, where police arrested several protesters.

Before they were seated, jurors had to answer questions about whether their feelings about former President Trump, Black Lives Matter, the National Rifle Association and Floyd's death could unfairly slant their deliberations.

Scott Kimball, 43, pleaded guilty in February to two counts of criminal threatening and was sentenced to 12 months in jail, probation and racial sensitivity training.

Whenever Shepherd cross-examined witnesses, he focused on the safety of the Kimballs. For example, police officers would testify about the arrest, and then Shepherd would query them about when they would draw their weapon in self-defense.

Manchester Police Officer Justin Breton testified that, hypothetically, if 10 to 12 hostile people were running at him, he would pull his weapon.

"At that point, yes," Breton said.

Police Sgt. Mike Lavalle said he feared for the safety of the Kimballs as he ran past protesters to get to their parked truck.

But Breton was concerned about what the Kimballs might do, testifying that he worried that someone would get shot or run over.

"This person threatened everybody because he brought a gun to a Black Lives Matter rally," said Forrest Rapier, one of the people named as a victim in indictments.

In closing arguments, Shepherd said the Trump flag and Confederate-flag bumper sticker don't have anything to do with the trial. He stressed the right to own and bear firearms and to defend oneself.

"Why do police carry a gun? The exact same reason he carried a gun," Shepherd said.

But Bolton said the law does not allow someone to provoke a fight and then use a gun in self-defense. According to testimony, Kimball used a racial slur as the truck drove by.

"That truck pulled up. That crowd wasn't doing anything," Bolton said. "He interrupted (a moment of silence). He agitated it."