SALT LAKE CITY — Brandon McCormick, the 57-year-old man accused of threatening protesters with a machete and a bow and arrow on May 30 has been ordered to stay in jail.
Third District Judge Paul Parker also ruled there was sufficient evidence for the case to move forward, according to the Salt Lake Tribune which is a content-sharing partner with FOX 13.
At a preliminary hearing Tuesday, Reggie Wilson testified he and his daughter were in the area when he heard a commotion between McCormick and people protesting the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Wilson said he approached McCormick. "I told him he needed to get back into his vehicle and leave," he testified. "He was aggravating the situation."
Officers led McCormick away after some protesters had punched him in the face. They also flipped his car over and set it on fire.
He was not arrested that day, but prosecutors later charged him with three felonies.
If convicted, McCormick faces up to five years in prison on each count.
The Tribune article also detailed McCormick's long criminal history in California.
