A Maryland man was arrested after a video surfaced that showed him grabbing a woman’s arm who was posting fliers about racial justice and appearing to shove a second man filming the encounter.
Anthony Brennan III, 60, of Kensington, Maryland, was arrested Friday and charged with three counts of second-degree assault, the Maryland-National Capital Park Police announced in a press release.
The video was taken Monday afternoon on the Capital Crescent Trail in Bethesda, Maryland, near Washington, D.C. It soon went viral as police asked the public for help in identifying the man, who is seen in the videos wearing a bike helmet, aviator-style sunglasses, and a gray shirt.
If anyone can identify this man, please let me know (410-576-6300) and contact Montgomery County States Attorney John McCarthy. https://t.co/Y2pO51MHJD
— Brian Frosh (@BrianFrosh) June 4, 2020
“Over the past few days, community members have sent hundreds of tips to the Park Police. Detectives in the Investigative Section utilized various sources to further corroborate the information provided by the community before developing Mr. Brennan as a primary suspect,” police said in the release.
“The Maryland-National Capital Park Police appreciates the courage and civic engagement of the victims who came forward in this matter. We thank the community for the abundance of tips and information shared,” it added.
The three other individuals involved in the incident said they were hanging posters calling for justice for George Floyd when Brennan confronted them.
“KILLER COPS WILL NOT GO FREE,” the flier said, according to the trio. It also said, “Text ‘Floyd’ to 55156.” In small print below, the fliers appeared to reference white privilege and said: “DO NOT LIVE IN IGNORANCE. USE YOUR PRIVILEGE FOR GOOD.”
