law enforcement

Brock Turner's Ohio Neighbors Are Not Welcoming, and Some Are Armed

The armed protesters stress they are not threatening to harm Turner, unless they catch him committing another crime. They say it's their form of justice and a way to keep Turner on edge

Convicted sex offender Brock Turner is back in his hometown in Ohio, but many neighbors have been anything but welcoming.

Some of them even brandished rifles, carrying the guns under the state's open carry laws to send the message that what Turner did will not be forgotten.

"No one is going to shoot him unless we see him victimizing people," said Micah Naziri, one of several Greene County residents protesting Turner's lax punishment for a sexual assault conviction.

The former Stanford University swimmer was released from Santa Clara County jail Friday morning after serving three months of a six-month sentence for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman after a fraternity party at Stanford in January 2015.

Judge Aaron Persky issue the sentence in June and has since been under fire for being too easy on Turner, who could have received a 10-year prison term for his crimes.

Now back at his parents' home, Turner is serving three years probation. He must register as a sex offender and will be monitored by law enforcement as such for the rest of his life.

turner-ohio
Richard Brewster/Awakened Cincinnatians
Some protesters in Brock Turner's Ohio hometown are armed with rifles.

Several groups have been protesting Turner's choice of residency. The armed protesters stress they are not threatening to harm Turner, unless they catch him committing another crime. They say it's their form of justice and a way to keep Turner on edge.

"Even if the justice system fails, the community is not going to fail," Naziri said.

Meanwhile, the committee working to recall Persky is blaming the judge for the gun patrols, saying his light sentence for Turner is having a trickle-down effect. The group said it doesn't agree with the armed protesters but believes Persky is responsible for creating a more vigilante environment.

Contact Us