Flared tempers and protests outside, as Joe Arpaio speaks at Republican fundraiser
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Several hundred people came out yelling and screaming in Southeast Fresno tonight. Those who support and those who oppose former Maricopa County Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
The colorful lawman was in town as the featured speaker at a Republican fundraiser. Inside, dinner guests chatted and laughed amongst each other-outside, tempers flared.
Police separated the demonstrators to separate sides of the street, but some started crossing over. Things heated up and the confrontations began and there in the middle of it all, Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer.
Dyer had called in as many of 80 officers in anticipation of the protests. His officers remained busy all night long keeping the demonstrators away from each other.
"We've had to place ourselves in between people with opposing views people who were getting very heated," said Dyer.
Full Joe Arpaio press conference
Earlier in the evening, Arpaio confronted the accusations that brought this controversy against him. A federal conviction for allegedly carrying out immigration patrols after a judge ruled to end them. He says he is not angry, but he is disappointed after dedicating his life to serving our country in law enforcement for close to 50 years
"I'm doing it for all of you. I'm fighting for all of you. If they can do this to me, they can do it to you or anybody, or any cop. There's a war on cops in this country," said Arpaio.
He says he did not ask for President Trump to pardon him but is humbled the president did. He claims he is not guilty of the charges and neither are his deputies.
"This nonsense--a cop can't profile, profiling is a part of a police officer's operation in order to find criminals and put them in jail or deport them if they are here illegally," said Ben Bergqum.
"The Republican Party, our local Republican Party brings Joe Arpaio as an example and to honor a criminal cop when we have all these amazing heroic police officers they could honor," said Kathleen McKinley.
At the end of the night, Police Chief Jerry Dyer figured he and his officers had to intervene in about thirty verbal arguments, but there were no physical fights. And no arrests were made.
