At Protest, Armed Heckler Saying 'Womp! Womp!' Arrested

Shane Sealy in Alabama mimics Corey Lewandowski in immigration debate
By Newser Editors,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 2, 2018 8:17 AM CDT
At Protest, Armed Heckler Saying 'Womp! Womp!' Arrested
Shane Ryan Sealy.   (Madison County (Ala.) Sheriff's Office)

A protest of White House immigration policy turned unsettling in Alabama over the weekend when a counter-protester repeatedly chanted the mocking phrase "womp! womp!" and pulled a gun during an altercation, police say. The "derisive womp! womp" line, denoting false sympathy, is the same one uttered to much condemnation by former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski on cable TV last month, and it seems to have inspired some supporters of the immigration crackdown, reports the Washington Post. The incident took place Saturday in Huntsville, resulting in the arrest of 34-year-old Shane Ryan Sealy on charges of possessing a firearm within 1,000 feet of a protest, menacing, and reckless endangerment. Sealy is a former high school English teacher, reports Al.com.

You can see the start of the trouble in this video, which shows Sealy carrying a sign reading "ICE ICE Baby" back and forth in front of a gazebo, where speakers were beginning the noon protest. Eventually, police say that Sealy pushed a protester, who then pushed him back and knocked Sealy down. That's when Sealy is accused of pulling a handgun from his pants. WAFF 48 has video of a protester alerting the group about the weapon, which prompted many of them to hit the ground. Sealy begins walking away from the protesters, the gun back in his pants. As some protesters follow him, police arrive and arrest him. The rally was one of the "Families Belong Together" protests that took place across the US on Saturday. (More immigration stories.)

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