• 2025-09-21 03:18 PM

ISTANBUL: An armed man has been arrested at State Farm Stadium in Arizona for allegedly impersonating a police officer ahead of a memorial event for conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Joshua Runkles, 42, was taken into custody by the Arizona Department of Public Safety and charged with carrying a weapon into a prohibited place and impersonating law enforcement.

Authorities stopped Runkles after observing suspicious behaviour and confirmed he was not a legitimate law enforcement officer.

An investigation is currently underway to determine his intentions and purpose for being at the stadium.

Runkles has since been released on bond according to an official statement from the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

The US Secret Service confirmed agents confronted an individual exhibiting suspicious behaviour who falsely claimed to be armed law enforcement.

The agency stated it is collaborating with local authorities to establish why the suspect was present at the venue. – Bernama-Anadolu