A Presidents' Day protest in Salt Lake City took a chaotic turn when a man, later identified as 38-year-old Michael Christensen, allegedly assaulted multiple participants. Police reports, as obtained by KUTV, state that Christensen attacked protesters with pepper spray and physical blows during the demonstration against Trump Administration policies.
Christensen's arrest followed an altercation where he reportedly threw a beer can at a protester dressed as Captain America and punched him in the head. According to the Salt Lake City Police Department, "Christensen is accused of pulling out a canister of pepper spray and using it against nearby crowd members." Four individuals were identified as victims of the pepper spray assault. During the incident, which FOX 13 reports happened around 4:30 p.m., near 400 S. State Street, police also found a sharp-edged weapon, drug paraphernalia, and an open container of alcohol on Christensen upon his arrest.
Authorities have charged Christensen with four counts of assault among other allegations including possession of drug paraphernalia and lewdness, the latter of which officials stated occurred during the booking process. The motive behind Christensen's actions remains unclear. The Salt Lake City Police Department indicated in statements that there is no current evidence to suggest Christensen was a counter-protester or that the attacks were specifically targeted.
Some of the demonstrators affected shared their experiences with ABC4. Travis Hysell and his wife, Brandi Hysell, recounted being directly pepper-sprayed by Christensen. "He pulled out pepper spray — no warning — probably a foot from my face, sprayed me, and swung around as he sprayed," Travis Hysell said, as per ABC4. Julia Graff, another protester, sought medical attention to ensure the pepper spray was adequately removed from her eyes. SLCPD assured their response was swift, arriving on the scene not long after receiving reports of the attacks.
