A Michigan County Board of Trustees officer Grand Traverse fired a rifle during a live public meeting after a local resident asked the group to condemn the Proud Boys, according to several reports.
During the virtual meeting, East Bay Township resident Keli MacIntosh called on the board of commissioners to make “a kind of public statement” denouncing far-right group Proud Boys, who had spoken before the board. last year, as it considered a gun rights proposal.
“I mean, you could say we don’t have it [a] problem with Proud Boys in our area, but obviously there are problems with Proud Boys across the country that are causing problems, “MacIntosh said as Commission President Ron Clous stepped off the screen, as seen in a video published by The Washington Post.
MacIntosh went on to explain that while she is not a gun owner, she can “definitely appreciate that people want to protect their gun rights.”
As he speaks, Clous is shown stepping back toward the frame with a rifle.
MacIntosh goes on to say that groups like the Proud Boys have been given permission to “do more with their weapons than go hunting.”
MacIntosh told the Post that Clous’s actions scared her.
“He’s supposed to be looking for the best interests of the community,” he said. “What’s the message he’s trying to convey? That if someone speaks out against us, we’ll just threaten him with a gun?”
Clous defended his actions against the Traverse City Record-Eagle.
“I was just going to show the rifle and show that I fully supported the Second Amendment, but then I chose not to,” he said.
He went on to explain his interaction with the far-right group at the March meeting.
“The only thing I know about them is when they came and talked to us. They were probably the most respected people who got up and talked,” he said. “They were decent guys and treated us with respect.”
Commission Chairman Rob Hentschel, who can be seen laughing as Clous holds the rifle, told the Record-Eagle he saw no harm in Clous’s actions.
“I saw it through my chest and thought it was ironic to do it,” Hentschel said. “The person was talking about guns and he had one on his chest. I didn’t see him do anything illegal or dangerous. He wasn’t threatening or brandishing. He was just holding it.”
Board member Betsy Coffia shared her disapproval of the incident in a statement to The Hill, saying it gave a bad name to responsible gun owners.
“It is unacceptable for an elected official to respond to a voter exercising his right of first amendment by brandishing a weapon at a public meeting,” he said.
He then criticized Hentschel’s reaction, saying: “It is unacceptable that the chair not only laughs approvingly, but also defends actions.”
Coffia said the most alarming part of the incident was the fact that “both men are defending the Proud Boys despite the FBI finding them an extremist group linked to white nationalism.”
Hentschel, Clous, and the rest of the board members did not immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment.
The incident comes after the deadly January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, in which far-right activist groups took part.