A man armed with a knife and gun while allegedly posing as a law enforcement officer has been arrested outside the Arizona venue where Charlie Kirk’s memorial is set to take place.
The 42-year-old, identified as Joshua Runkles, was reportedly charged with carrying a weapon into a prohibited place and impersonating a police officer near the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, where tens of thousands are expected to gather for the public memorial of Kirk after his death in Utah earlier this month.
The man was arrested after exhibiting what officials called “suspicious behaviour”, with authorities alleging he approached a law enforcement official at the stadium and pretended to be part of the security detail for Kirk’s conservative political organisation, Turning Point USA.
He was then detained by police after they confirmed he was not a law enforcement officer, with Arizona’s department of public safety and the US Secret Service still investigating the matter — including the man’s intent and purpose — ahead of Kirk’s memorial.
“The individual was approached by Secret Service and stated during the encounter that he was a member of law enforcement and that he was armed,” the Secret Service said, per The Guardian.
“The individual is not a member of authorised law enforcement working the event and is currently in custody,” they added.
Runkles was reportedly found in possession of a loaded pistol, revolver and several knives.
It comes ahead of Kirk’s memorial service, which is expected to draw up to 100,000 attendees in Glendale, where Turning Point USA is headquartered.
Multiple people are expected to speak at the service, including US President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and White House cabinet members Marco Rubio and Pete Hegseth. Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, is also expected to deliver a speech at the service, after assuming the role of Turning Point USA’s leader following his death.
The US Department of Homeland Security has designated the memorial as a level 1 event, meaning it has “significant … national and/or international importance that requires extensive federal interagency support”, per The Washington Post.
Kirk was shot dead while speaking at an event on campus at the Utah Valley University on September 10.
Eyewitnesses described the scene in the immediate aftermath, before a suspect, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, was identified and arrested by authorities.
Lead images: Getty Images
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