Report: Troy (NY) police find militia manual after arrest of armed men at Black Lives Matter rally

[ARPad95]

[link:https://www.newyorkupstate.com/capital-region/2020/06/report-troy-police-find-militia-manual-after-arrest-of-armed-men-at-black-lives-matter-rally.html|]

After arresting two men accused of carrying loaded firearms during a Black Lives Matter protest, Troy police discovered “a tactical manual tying the group to the New England Minutemen militia group.”

According to the Times Union, Rensselaer County District Attorney Mary Pat Donnelly’s office said the manual was found when police searched one of the vehicles after confronting a group of eight armed men.

Nathaniel Shepard, 34, of Averill Park, was charged Tuesday with two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, 16 counts of criminal possession of a weapon in third degree, and one count of criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree.

Shepard’s arrest follows Noah Latham’s case last week. Latham, 21, a soldier based at Fort Drum, who was with the group has been accused of allegedly carrying a “ghost gun,” an untraceable firearm assembled from parts sold on the internet with no serial number.

Latham was charged with criminal possession of a weapon, second degree, a Class C violent felony. He was returned to Fort Drum and confined to the base, according to reports.

The Black Lives rally took place in Troy on June 7. Officials said the armed men dressed in military style body armor and wore bullet proof vests. Some of the men carried loaded firearms and two-way radios and some also carried batons.

According to WWNYTV, the men were detained near a parking garage not far from Troy’s police department, during the Black Lives Matter rally which began at the city park and made its way downtown to the police station and city hall.

A search of vehicles recovered a stash of loaded firearms and ammunition, a gas mask, fireworks and a tactical manual tying the group to the New England Minutemen militia group.

Troy police is still conducting an investigation in this incident.

[live love laugh]

1. Attempted hate crimes. Throw them under the jail. nt

[intheflow]

2. Crappy headline.

It insinuates Black men were carrying guns. Of course, we know it wasn't Black men in the first sentence, when they don't mention the race of the men at all.

Of course the second clue that they're not black is that they were arrested, not killed.

[stillcool]

4. pretty sick that so much can be gleaned...

by how a story is told...and the reaction it gets....like in this case none.

[BeyondGeography]

3. Terrorists

[luvtheGWN]

5. Domestic, home-grown terrorists.

[DUar17]

6. See? Not all cops are evil mf's. I'm glad some good police were on the scene.

[saidsimplesimon]

8. No, I do not see this as an affirmation

or indictment of police. They exist to "serve US". We the People must demand they ALL uphold their oath to "protect and serve". imo

[wnylib]

7. Not surprising to find armed militia men

at a BLM rally. There are several militias in every state, many more than most people realize. Most of their members, like McVeigh, have military experience. Their views are usually anti government, white supremacist, anti tax, anti regulation on everything.

[Evolve Dammit]

9. Domestic terrorists. LOCK THEM UP for a looooong time.

[pecosbob]

10. I am particularly revolted by the use of 'Minutemen' by a hate group.

[PatrickforO]

11. Domestic terrorism.

Another fine example of guns keeping us all safe.

[paleotn]

12. New use for Gitmo facilities....

Home grown terrorists.

[JDC]

13. If these were Muslim men and that guide was in arabic

It would be on the lips of every news org and every RW politician in the country - not the least of which would be Dotard *45. And repeated every hour on the hour for weeks.

[eleny]

14. 2-way radios - How many more of them were in the crowd or nearby helping to direct their effort?