Asheville police charge 2 men in assaults at Trump rally

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – One man was arrested Tuesday and a warrant was issued against another wanted in two separate assaults at a Donald Trump rally in Asheville, police said.

Thomas Vellanti Jr. was arrested on a disorderly conduct charge after investigators followed up on an assault caught on video Monday night inside the U.S. Cellular Center, Asheville police spokeswoman Christina Hallingse said. The recording was shared on social media and broadcast by media outlets.

Vellanti turned himself in to the Buncombe County Magistrate’s Office Tuesday, Hallingse said.

Hallingse said there was a report of another assault outside the arena involving an older female victim. Officers took statements from the victim and witnesses, and a warrant was issued for Richard L. Campbell on a charge of assault on a female.

Campbell was still at large Tuesday, Hallingse said.

According to Hallingse, five people were arrested at the rally and a gun was confiscated from someone outside the arena before the rally.

Warrants at the Buncombe County courthouse showed a woman and a 16-year-old were arrested for trespassing, and the teenager was charged with resisting arrest.

After Trump’s speech, police arrested a father and daughter after an altercation. According to warrants, 39-year-old Harry Rivera Jr. of Asheville assaulted another person and was charged with a misdemeanour count of simple affray.

Warrants also show Rivera’s daughter, 18-year-old Isis India Rivera, was arrested and charged with resisting a public officer, which is a misdemeanour.

The fifth person was charged with simple possession of drugs.

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Information from: The Asheville Citizen-Times, http://www.citizen-times.com