Armed man impersonating police arrested at US stadium before Charlie Kirk memorial

By Gizem Nisa Demir

ISTANBUL (AA) - An armed man has been arrested at State Farm Stadium in the US state of Arizona, where a memorial for conservative activist Charlie Kirk is scheduled for Sunday, after allegedly posing as a police officer, according to officials.

ABC News reported that Joshua Runkles, 42, was taken into custody by the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) and booked on charges of carrying a weapon into a prohibited place and impersonating law enforcement.

DPS said Runkles was stopped after displaying “suspicious behavior” and confirmed he is “not a law enforcement officer.”

An investigation is ongoing to determine his intent and purpose at the stadium. Runkles has since been released on bond,” DPS said in a statement.

The US Secret Service told ABC News that agents confronted an “individual who was observed exhibiting suspicious behavior” and who falsely claimed to be armed law enforcement. The agency said it is working with authorities to determine why the suspect was at the venue.