"No Kings" counterprotester filmed demonstrator's child before punching child's father in Bloomington, charges say

A 36-year-old "No Kings" counterprotester has been accused of filming a demonstrator's child before punching the child's father in Bloomington, Minnesota, on Saturday, according to court records.

The St. Cloud, Minnesota, man is charged with one count each of third-degree assault and committing a crime while wearing a bullet-resistant vest. 

Court documents said the incident happened around the intersection of American Boulevard and Penn Avenue South. Responding officers learned the man was engaging in counterprotest activities, yelling at protesters and had been livestreaming to social media.

According to the complaint, the man had his camera pointed at a child at one point. The child's father then turned to the man and pushed his phone away to make him stop recording the child. 

The man responded by punching the child's father in the nose, court documents said. The child's father, who suffered a broken nose, was taken to the hospital.

Per the complaint, the man was arrested at the scene. Officers obtained and executed a warrant to search his vehicle, which was nearby, and found an airsoft gun, pepper spray, gloves and a facemask.

"The gloves were consistent with those worn during the assault," the complaint said.

The man in a post-Miranda statement said he punched the child's father in self-defense after the child's father "lunged" toward him and tried to grab his phone, according to court documents. He added he was wearing body armor and had a chemical irritant in his possession to protect himself because he is a "public figure" and "everybody wants to kill me."

The complaint said video of the incident showed the child's father "advancing toward" the man while the man stood still. It also showed the child's father appearing to "make a swinging motion" at the man's phone before the man punched him, and that the man had space behind him to retreat before throwing the punch. 

If convicted, the man faces up to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $20,000.