Armed man arrested at stadium ahead of Charlie Kirk memorial in Arizona: Officials
A man has been arrested and charged after he allegedly impersonated a law enforcement officer and brought a weapon to the stadium where Charlie Kirk's memorial service will be held on Sunday, according to officials.
Joshua Runkles, 42, was booked on charges of carrying a weapon into a prohibited place and impersonating a police officer, according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
Runkles was arrested at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, after showing "suspicious behavior," according to Arizona DPS.
Runkles is not a law enforcement officer, according to DPS. He was taken into custody by the DPS and booked into the Maricopa County Jail.
"An investigation is ongoing to determine his intent and purpose at the stadium. Runkles has since been released on bond," according to Arizona DPS.
Later, in a statement posted on X, Turning Point USA spokesman Andrew Kolvet said the individual "was doing advance security for a known guest planning to attend the memorial service tomorrow. We do not believe this person was attempting anything nefarious, however the advance was not done in proper coordination with the TPUSA security team or US Secret Service."
Kolvet said the arrest came before the site had been fully sealed and locked down.
The U.S. Secret Service said it was investigating in coordination with local law enforcement an "individual who was observed exhibiting suspicious behavior" at State Farm Stadium.
The individual was approached by Secret Service agents and said during the encounter that he was a member of law enforcement and that he was armed, a Secret Service spokesperson told ABC News.
This individual was not a member of authorized law enforcement working the event and an investigation is ongoing as to why he was there, the spokesperson said.
