White anti-Trump protester arrested for sucker-punching black Trump supporter at Laguna Beach rally

Joe NewbyAugust 24, 2017

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On Thursday, Fox 11 reported that 20-year-old Richard Losey was arrested and charged for allegedly sucker-punching a black Trump supporter during competing protests last weekend in Laguna Beach, California.

Video taken at the protest showed Losey allegedly punching R.C. Maxwell while he wasn’t looking.

Here’s video of the incident:

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Here’s another video posted to social media:

The Los Angeles Times reported:

In the video, Maxwell is surrounded by a crowd of counter-protesters, some with bandanas covering their faces.

“There is a problem with illegal immigration, I speak out against that, that doesn’t make me a Nazi,” Maxwell says.

“You’re a traitor!” someone shouts over him.

“People want you in chains, dude,” another voice says.

“If you want to keep the peace, you should leave,” someone says.

Shortly after, Maxwell is knocked to the ground.

In addition to being sucker-punched, the Times said Maxwell was pepper-sprayed and choked by the so-called “peaceful” protesters.

According to Fox11:

Maxwell spoke to FOX 11 on Wednesday, saying that the attack was unprovoked.

“If the optics were completely different and I was a black lives matter supporter and I was attacked on the Trump side of a protest I would be in the spotlight on CNN right now,” Maxwell said. “I went over to the left side to see if I could engage them with dialogue and I was instantly encircled by the so called anti fascists.”

In the days after the assault, Losey appeared to identify himself on Twitter, admitting that he punched Maxwell because he wouldn’t stop talking about Donald Trump, and replying “arrest me, lmfao” when someone called for his arrest.

In addition to the physical assault, Maxwell said he was targeted with racist slurs from the anti-Trump side — the same side that claims all Trump supporters are racist Nazis and white supremacists.

“I think the fact that I’m a black conservative causes a lot of problems for the left side because there’s no way they can really resolve that according to their narrative of what they think trump supporters are, so I think that was a bit triggering to the other side,” Maxwell told Fox11. “I was getting lots of specific comments like you’re a sellout, you’re an Uncle Tom.”

In interview w/ me, R.C. Maxwell says he believes he was targeted for being black conservative. Called "sellout", "Uncle Tom". @FOXLA pic.twitter.com/l890Z85xMw

— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) August 24, 2017

Fox11’s Bill Melugin said he tried to interview Maxwell shortly after being shoved. According to Melugin, Maxwell was surrounded by anti-Trump protesters before being verbally harassed.

“I was in a pinball machine full of Antifa, it was a little scary but I was being bold and not adversarial,” Maxwell said, according to Fox11. “You just wanted to ask me a couple questions about what was happening and we couldn’t even conduct an interview. Dialogue is being shut down and free speech is being attacked and it’s being attacked by so called peaceful protesters under the name anti fascists.”

The Times said Losey fled before police arrived. He was arrested on Tuesday as he tried to buy a bus ticket to Ohio in what police believe was an attempt to “flee the state to avoid criminal prosecution.”

The Laguna Beach Police Department said in a press release posted to Facebook that Losey was charged with misdemeanor battery with a hate crime enhancement and is being held in lieu of a $50,000 bond.

A White House petition is calling on the administration to formally name Antifa a domestic terror group. The state of New Jersey has already designated Antifa as domestic terrorists.