UPDATE: Suspect in TPUSA Incident Identified as Former UT Tyler Student

By ORION BAKER/Managing Editor and MATEUS FERREIRA/Editor-In-Chief

The suspect arrested Tuesday after an altercation at a Turning Point USA event on Harvey Deck was identified in jail records as Ciro Tomlian. Beverley Golden, associate vice president for Strategic Communications and Media Relations, confirmed that he is a former UT Tyler student.

In an initial statement, UT Tyler President Jullie Philley did not disclose that Tomlian was a former student.

After being arrested on Nov. 10, he was booked into the Smith County Jail. According to jail records, he was charged with the following:

• Two charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon
• A charge of assault that causes bodily injury

He was taken into custody by a campus police officer after he caused a disturbance at a Turning Point USA event. In a video, he is seen wearing a black hat and a black cape and acting in a confrontational manner while swinging a cane.

He was subdued by people on the scene before the officer arrived.

EXPANDED COVERAGE

The story was heavily reported by news stations in Tyler, such as KETK/FOX 51, and CBS19, before being picked up by major national news outlets.

The video of what happened was shared by The New York Post, FOX News, Ben Shapiro, and other social media accounts.

U.S. Rep. Nathaniel Moran (R-Tyler) spoke out after learning of the incident.

“The First Amendment protects your right to speak, even to protest,” he said. “It does not protect assaulting people you disagree with. Violence has no place on any campus, and it doesn’t represent East Texas. Thank you to UT Tyler police for acting quickly.”