Rifle-toting vet arrested after dressing up, trying to join National Guard crowd control formation
A rifle-toting veteran who once spent time in the National Guard was arrested in Los Angeles after he reportedly dressed up in a uniform resembling those worn by California National Guard troops and attempted to fall into formation during the city’s anti-racism demonstrations.
Gregory Wong, 31, allegedly arrived equipped with multiple weapons after taking an Uber to the scene of the protests that have surged in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, CBS Los Angeles reported. Once downtown, Wong reportedly joined a formation of guardsmen who had recently arrived to monitor select sites and aggressive crowd behavior — part of a 4,500-person force mobilized throughout California by Gov. Gavin Newsom, the report said.
But Wong’s time in formation didn’t last, as puzzled troops began to question the authenticity of the unfamiliar service member in the mismatching uniform. The skeptical troops subsequently alerted officers from the Los Angeles Police Department, the report said, who took Wong into custody at approximately 1:30 a.m. Tuesday.
According to the report, police classified Wong’s M-4 rifle as a “ghost gun” — or, a custom-built weapon that contains no serial number. The veteran was also armed with a pistol, the report said. For brandishing the rifle Wong was charged with the transportation of an assault weapon. Wong claimed to have come to the area only to provide security for a friend’s business and is currently being held on $50,000 bond.
https://www.militarytimes.com/off-duty/military-culture/2020/06/03/rifle-toting-vet-arrested-after-dressing-up-trying-to-join-national-guard-crowd-control-formation/
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