KINDERHOOK — Two Rothermel Lane residents who allegedly waved a gun at Black Lives Matter protesters on July 11 legally own the weapon and the review of a video taken at the scene indicates they did not break any laws, state police said Friday.
“The gun in possession of the homeowners was legally possessed and the incident, which was captured on video obtained by police, did not reveal any violation of law,” state police said in a statement.
State police investigators conducted extensive interviews with neighbors of the two people involved in the incident, Village of Kinderhook Mayor James Dunham said Friday.
The mayor said he believes state police conducted a thorough investigation, noting that he was not privy to the video investigators obtained.
The couple that allegedly waved the gun do not represent all village residents, Dunham said, but added that he was not surprised by their reaction to the Black Lives Matter marchers.
“I don’t think that they represent the majority of people in the village,” Dunham said.
The mayor was out of town when the incident occurred but said he would have attended the march had he been able to do so.
“I would have attended as a village official trying to keep it safe and peaceful,” he said.
State police were called to the scene of the Black Lives Matter march after two people armed with a handgun began a verbal argument with marchers. The two were then taken to the Kinderhook state police station for questioning following the incident, according to state police.
No charges were filed and no arrests were made.
State police were not made aware of any injuries, state police Public Information Officer Aaron Hicks said following the incident.
The march, which was attended by about 60 people including Hudson Mayor Kamal Johnson, began in Kinderhook Village Square and continued onto Rothermel Lane, where the protesters were met by the man and woman with the gun.
“We were all walking down the street and a couple came out yelling obscenities,” Johnson said.
Johnson described the incident, which occurred near the mid-point of the march.
“The husband yelled for his wife to get his gun and she came out waving the gun at the crowd,” Johnson said.
State police interviewed the marchers at the end of the rally before they went into the couple’s home for about 30 minutes, Dunham said.
Johnson said the marchers got support from Kinderhook residents during the event.
“Many people along the march route treated us well and showed their support, until this happened near the end of the route,” he said.