Shirtless Santa Barbara man with bikini-clad woman snatches American flag and MAGA hat from Trump supporter before shoving him to the ground in middle of traffic
A shirtless man with a bikini-clad woman was seen snatching an American flag and MAGA hat from a Trump supporter in Santa Barbara this weekend before shoving him to the ground, as tensions boil over in the run-up to the election.
Shocking smartphone footage captured the altercation that took place at around 3:20 p.m. Saturday in the middle of a road on the 1100 block of E. Cabrillo Boulevard adjacent to the East Beach Volleyball Courts.
The Santa Barbara Police Department is asking for help in identifying and locating the male suspect and female accomplice over the suspected battery incident.
A shirtless man with a bikini-clad woman was seen snatching an American flag and MAGA hat from a Trump supporter in Santa Barbara this weekend before shoving him to the ground, as tensions boil over in the run-up to the election
The video shows the male suspect dressed in just beach shorts in the middle of the road holding an American flag and flipping the bird at cars driving past.
People in the cars were taking part in a pro-Trump auto parade at the time.
The suspect was accompanied by a woman sporting just a bikini and holding up a sign reading 'Dump Trump'.
The man walks over to one of the cars and snatches a MAGA hat from a Trump supporter through the car window.
He puts it on his head and walks away.
At this point the Trump supporter exits his vehicle and follows the man who, seeing this, discards his flag and turns to face him.
The suspect appears to be gearing up for a fight and violently shoves the Trump supporter to the ground, causing him to fall backwards in front of a car that has stopped due to the commotion.
The aggressor then casually walks back toward the curbside before a police cruiser speeds to the scene with its lights flashing.
The video shows the male suspect dressed in just beach shorts in the middle of the road holding an American flag and flipping the bird at cars driving past. The man walks over to one of the cars and snatches a MAGA hat from a Trump supporter through the car window
Shocking smartphone footage captured the altercation that took place at around 3:20 p.m. Saturday on the 1100 block of E. Cabrillo Boulevard. Pictured the suspect shoving the victim
The aggressor then casually walks back toward the curbside before a police cruiser speeds to the scene with its lights flashing
The male suspect sprints off down the beach away from the cops
The male suspect sprints off down the beach away from the cops.
Police said the man took the hat and the American flag that was attached to a car driving by.
The Trump supporter was injured in the attack, police said.
Police are still searching for the suspect several days later and are asking anyone with information to call the Santa Barbara Police Department at (805) 897-2346.
The suspect was described as a white man in his 30s, about 6 feet tall, thin to medium build, short brown hair, green or blue eyes, with tattoos down both arms and his left shoulder.
The woman who accompanied him was white, 25 to 30 years old and with blonde hair.
The victim and suspect did not know each other prior to the incident, police said.
This comes as tensions are building across America ahead of the presidential election Tuesday night, with businesses boarding up, federal agencies and local law enforcement preparing for unrest and people hunkering down in their homes.