Los Angeles County prosecutors have filed criminal charges against a man who allegedly sprayed bear repellent on people protesting President Donald Trump at the Santa Monica Pier.
Thirty-two-year-old David Nicholas Dempsey pleaded not guilty Tuesday to one felony count of use of tear gas and one misdemeanor count of unlawful tear gas activity.
The incident occurred Oct. 19 as scuffling erupted between opposing groups.
A video posted online showed a man wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat unleash spray from a canister.
The District Attorney's Office says Dempsey was previously convicted between 2006 and 2017 of felonies including second-degree burglary, conspiracy to commit commercial burglary and fleeing a pursuing peace officer's vehicle while driving recklessly.
If convicted, Dempsey faces a possible maximum sentence of eight years in county jail.
