An incident at Nashville’s Gordon Jewish Community Center on Monday led to the arrest of an East Tennessee man named Travis Garland, who is said to have ties to a neo-Nazi group. According to the WSMV, Garland attempted to disguise himself as an Orthodox Jew and demanded to speak with a rabbi at the center.
The Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) detailed that 31-year-old Garland wore a hat, fake curls, and a fake beard, and was seemingly recording the event on his phone, as he entered the facility around 7:45 p.m., WKRN reports. After being denied access to a rabbi, who was not on the premises, Garland exhibited behavior that alarmed a security guard to the extent that the guard feared for the safety of those present, believing Garland was attempting to reach his pistol, putting others at potential risk.
The MNPD's Security Threat division investigated the occurrence and in consultation with the Gordon Jewish Community Center and the district attorney's office, it was decided that Garland would face charges for his actions, as told by WKRN. The subsequent arrest took place in Maryville, TN. He faces criminal trespassing and assault by intimidation charges, with a bond set at a significant $250,000.
