- Lander T. Gomez, 22, is charged with robbery and assault for his alleged actions during a Salt Lake rally.
- Protesters gathered against U.S. immigration enforcement; counterprotesters were also present, causing tensions.
- Police used drones to record incidents, helping them to identifiy Gomez as one of the alleged attackers.
SALT LAKE CITY — A Centerville man was charged Tuesday with punching two people in June during a rally in Salt Lake City to protest U.S. immigration enforcement.
Lander T. Gomez, 22, is charged in 3rd District Court with robbery, a second-degree felony, plus rioting and two counts of assault, class B misdemeanors.
On June 12, several hundred people waving U.S. and Mexican flags and holding signs blasting U.S. immigration authorities gathered at Washington Square Park, near 500 S. State, to protest the crackdown on illegal immigration by the Trump administration.
At its peak, an estimated 1,000 people were gathered near the Salt Lake City-County Building, where many protesters spoke out against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; others showed up to counterprotest.
One man wearing a "red, white and blue, 1976 hat and who was carrying an American flag," was approached by a group of people who asked him to move. The group then started calling the man names, according to charging documents. When the man's friend left to get help, leaving the man alone, he was attacked by approximately 10 people.
"One male ripped the flag from (the victim), then his hat, and punched (him) in the face," the charges state. The man was also "grabbed" and "pulled" by several people who wouldn't allow him to leave, and at one point "was placed in a headlock," according to the charges.
The assault was recorded by Salt Lake police who were using drones to monitor the protest. Using footage from the drone cameras, officers identified Gomez as one of the attackers, charging documents allege.
Another man, the victim's friend, told police that when he returned after seeking help, his hat was also taken from him.
"When (he) turned around to say something about his hat, Gomez punched him several times," the charges say.
Another skirmish happened about 6:20 p.m. at Washington Square when a man wearing a shirt reading "Trump is GOAT of presidents" blasted one of the speakers for talking in Spanish and shouted down the protesters, police say. Several crowded around him, shouting back, and he eventually left.
Correction:The confrontation was on June 12. An earlier version quoted a police booking affidavit that incorrectly listed July 12.
