We’re currently in a politically tumultuous time where people are publicly persecuted for their political leanings. New allegations of a politically motivated attack are coming to light, and it doesn’t look good for the suspect.
WBKO in Bowling Green, Ky. reported that a Tennessee man has been jailed for pulling a “Glock .40 caliber firearm” on victim Terry Pierce at Sam's Club on Bowling Green, Ky. on Saturday, allegedly for wearing a Make America Great Again (MAGA) hat.
According to WBKO-13:
The police report confirms that the suspect, identified as James Phillips, admitted to flipping off Pierce and Pierce's wife because of their hats.
Pierce tells 13 News that he was shopping with his wife when Phillips "Pulled a .40 caliber out and stuck it in my face, backed up and said, 'It's a good day for you to die.’”
Pierce made the unwise move of following Phillips out of the Sam’s Club location and into the parking lot to “confront him [Phillips] again.” I don’t care how confident you are. If someone pulls a gun on you, and you’re unarmed yourself, the last thing you should do is follow them to continue the confrontation.
Luckily for Pierce, the subsequent exchange with Phillips didn’t result in another brandishing of the suspect’s weapon.
“I went out the front of the store to confront him again and that's when I got him in his car,” Pierce said. “He couldn't leave because his mother was still in the store. And we were having a verbal altercation outside.”
“He tried telling me I assaulted him and I said, 'I never touched you,” Pierce also said.
WBKO-13 also reported:
According to the police report, surveillance video confirms Pierce's story that he did not put his hands on Phillips.
The report does mention that witnesses and Pierce said Phillips pulled a gun on Pierce inside the store but this couldn't be seen on surveillance video due to Phillips backing out of the view of the camera.
In the report, police say Phillips had a Glock .40 caliber with a round chambered in his back pocket and two additional magazines in another pocket. Police say Phillips has a current concealed carry permit in Tennessee, where he is from.
Phillips was arrested on a first degree wanton endangerment charge and is currently in the Warren County Regional Jail.
Pierce actually made a very astute point in talking about the alleged motivation of the attack on him.
"I have as much right to wear that hat and support my country and my president as he has not to," Pierce said.
Persecuting people for their political beliefs is a growing trend that’s very troubling for the society we live in today. People are going to believe different things. That’s just human nature. We should be able to say that, despite our differences, people can believe what they want as long they don’t attempt to FORCE others to follow their lead and live within the law.
There are people who actively want to kill free will, and yet, they still somehow have the nerve to call themselves Americans.