A Colorado man is potentially facing charges related to bias after allegedly assaulting a television news reporter, expressing sentiments aligned with a political rhetoric that he associates with former President Trump. According to court records, the incident involved Patrick Thomas Egan, 39, who was taken into custody on December 18 in Grand Junction, Colorado. The situation escalated after Egan allegedly followed reporter Ja’Ronn Alex for approximately 40 miles from the Delta region. Alex conveyed to authorities that he felt targeted due to his Pacific Islander heritage.

Following their arrival in Grand Junction, Egan, who was driving a taxi at the time, reportedly approached Alex’s vehicle at a traffic light and questioned, “Are you even a U.S. citizen? This is Trump’s America now! I’m a Marine and I took an oath to protect this country from people like you!” After the confrontation, Alex, who was out gathering news, returned to his station in the city. Upon exiting his vehicle, Egan allegedly pursued Alex to the station’s entrance, demanding to see his identification. The affidavit indicates that Egan then tackled Alex, applying a headlock and “began to strangle him.” Eyewitness accounts and surveillance footage suggest Alex struggled to breathe during the ordeal.

Ja’Ronn Alex hails from Detroit, as stated on the news station’s website, and was operating a news vehicle at the time of the encounter. Following the incident, Egan was arrested on suspicion of bias-motivated crimes, second-degree assault, and harassment. A court appearance is set for Thursday, where it will be determined if formal charges will be pursued by prosecutors.

Egan’s attorney, Ruth Swift, was unavailable for comments on Friday and has not yet responded to requests for statements regarding the case. Meanwhile, Stacey Stewart, the vice president and general manager of KKCO/KJCT, noted that the station would limit its comments to those already made regarding the attack.