Florida man charged with assaulting police officer protecting Rand Paul after Trump speech in DC

Thomas Catenacci, DCNF

A man was charged for punching a police officer who was in close proximity to Sen. Rand Paul following President Donald Trump’s Aug. 27 Republican National Convention speech at the White House.

Brennen Sermon, 27, allegedly punched the Metropolitan Police Department officer who had been protecting Paul in the face causing significant damage, according to a District of Columbia U.S. Attorney’s Office statement Wednesday. The officer “sustained a laceration and severe swelling above his left eye,” according to the statement.

“Just got attacked by an angry mob of over 100, one block away from the White House,” Paul tweeted shortly after the incident. “Thank you to [the Metropolitan Police Department] for literally saving our lives from a crazed mob.”

The U.S. senator from Kentucky and his wife had been surrounded by a group of shouting protesters on the street after they departed the White House where Trump gave his speech, video shows. The video further shows a member of the crowd forcefully kicking an officer toward Paul.

Rand Paul just got chased by a crowd back to his hotel, after leaving the White House from Trump’s Republican Party Nomination #DC #DCProtests pic.twitter.com/h1kPcZG1jh

— Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) August 28, 2020

In additional footage of the incident, members of the crowd can be heard yelling “say her name” to Paul, a reference to Breonna Taylor, a black woman who was fatally shot by Louisville, Kentucky police in March. However, Paul introduced the Justice for Breonna Taylor Act in June, which proposed to ban no-knock warrants and no-knock police raids.

Protesters demanded that Senator @RandPaul say Breonna Taylor’s name.

“White silence is violence!”

“Say her name!”

It’s worth mentioning on June 11, Paul introduced the “Justice for Breonna Taylor Act.” pic.twitter.com/SbpxSvTnEt

— Ford Fischer (@FordFischer) August 28, 2020

The original court affidavit accused Sermon of kicking the officer, fleeing, then punching the officer who pursued him, according to the U.S. attorney’s statement. However, an updated affidavit concluded that Sermon was not responsible for kicking the officer.

Sermon, who is from Orlando, Florida, is only being charged for the punching allegation and faces up to 180 days imprisonment, the statement said.

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