NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (KNX) — An Orange County man charged with brandishing a gun at Black Lives Matter protesters two years ago was granted a request on Friday to enroll in a pretrial diversion program to have his case dismissed.
Travis Patrick White of Newport Beach was charged with misdemeanor drawing, exhibiting, or using a firearm or deadly weapon capable of being concealed, carrying a loaded firearm on person in a public place, and carrying a concealed firearm.
Prosecutors have objected to the diversion grant.
“It is scary that someone who disagrees with your right to express yourself freely during a peaceful protest would elevate that to the level of lethal force. That should cause all of us alarm,” O.C. District ATtorney Todd Spitzer said in a statement when the defendant was charged. “This individual brought a gun to a peaceful protest. He was looking for a confrontation and when confronted with opinions that he disagrees with he pulled out his gun.”
On the day of the incident, White reportedly verbally accosted BLM protesters at a demonstration. After exchanging words with an activist, who alleged White had uttered certain racial slurs at the group, White pulled out a loaded gun from his backpack, cocked it, and pointed it at the sky.
White claims he brandished the gun to scare away protesters, saying he feared for his safety. He has denied saying any slurs.
According to White’s attorney, the ruling delays the case for a year, allowing him to complete anger management and gun safety courses which — in combination with a record that stays clean — will result in a dismissal.
“The guy has suffered greatly. For a guy who never made any mistake until this incident, which is totally out of character for him, he was harassed to the point that he had to move out of his house and he lost three jobs,” White’s attorney said.
White is due to complete the program by March of next year.
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