Armed Man Impersonating U.S. Marshal Arrested at Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Presidential Campaign Event

An armed man impersonating a U.S. Marshal was arrested at a Robert F. Kennedy Jr. presidential campaign event in Los Angeles on Friday evening.

A spokesperson for the LAPD told PEOPLE that officers responded to a radio call about a man impersonating a U.S. Marshall at the Kennedy for President event within the 4400 block of West 8th Street at 4:30 p.m.

The LAPD spokesperson identified the suspect as Adrian Paul Aispuro, 44, and said that he “had a loaded gun and shoulder holster and a badge stating he was a U.S. Marshal.”

“Security at the location didn't recognize them as being part of their security detail, so the LAPD was called and the suspect was detained,” the spokesperson stated, adding that the FBI was also at the scene.

The LAPD spokesperson said Aispuro was taken to and charged at the LAPD Wilshire Police Station for carrying a concealed weapon, with his bail set at $35,000.

According to ABC 7 Los Angeles, LAPD said Aispuro “never brandished the gun or threatened anyone.”  

Per the outlet, Kennedy's campaign team issued a statement on Saturday stating that a private security team interacted with Aispuro ahead of Friday evening's speech after Aispuro insisted that he was a part of the candidate's security detail and asked to be taken to Kennedy "immediately."

"The security imposter, who was wearing sunglasses, appeared to have laid his plans in advance, as he was carrying what appeared to be a U.S. Marshal badge on a lanyard and a belt clip federal ID," the campaign said. "The Kennedy campaign is seeking additional information from law enforcement authorities."

Kennedy, 69, shared images and video footage of Aispuro on Instagram, TikTok and X (formerly known as Twitter) and issued the same statement across all platforms.

“I’m very grateful that alert and fast-acting protectors from Gavin de Becker and Associates (GDBA) spotted and detained an armed man who attempted to approach me at my Hispanic Heritage speech at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles tonight,” the Democratic presidential candidate wrote on Friday.

“The man, wearing two shoulder holsters with loaded pistols and spare ammunition magazines, was carrying a U.S. Marshal badge on a lanyard and belt clip federal ID. He identified himself as a member of my security detail," the message read.

The statement continued, "Amed GDBA team members moved quickly to isolate and detain the man until LAPD arrived to make the arrest. I am also grateful to LAPD for its rapid response.

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"I’m still entertaining a hope that President Biden will allow me Secret Service protection. I am the first presidential candidate in history to whom the White House denied a request for protection,” concluded the politician, whose father, Robert F. Kennedy, and uncle, John F. Kennedy, were both assassinated.

According to ABC 7 Los Angeles, Department of Homeland Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and a bipartisan committee rejected Kennedy’s request for Secret Service protection in July “following an unusually early request from Kennedy's campaign.”

Per the outlet, “Kennedy said at the time that his request ‘included a 67-page report...detailing unique and well-established security and safety risks aside from commonplace death threats.’”