A man wearing a black cape and hat ended up in handcuffs after allegedly attacking people with a cane and tearing down an American flag at a Turning Point USA event in Texas. The confrontation unfolded November 10th at the University of Texas at Tyler. Three people were reportedly assaulted before campus police intervened and arrested the man.
The university’s Turning Point chapter was hosting a “Pick Up the Mic” event featuring Preston Parsons, president of the Texas Tech University TPUSA chapter. The campus gathering brought together conservative students and a Turning Point field representative. Footage credited to Alanna Kitchens and Lisette Ferguson captured the confrontation near the group’s outdoor tent, where an American flag hung from the display.
The man approached the side of the tent, grabbed the flag and pulled it down before throwing it over his head. People nearby challenged him over his actions and warned him about police being present. Wearing a short black cloak and carrying what Frontlines TPUSA described as a prop cane, he raised the object while facing those confronting him.
As BizPac Review reported, the man displayed his middle finger and shouted profanity at the group, calling them fascists. He then swung the cane toward one person’s legs. Frontlines identified those allegedly assaulted as two students and a TPUSA field representative, and initially reported that no injuries had been reported during the incident.
A man stepped in to restrain the cane-wielding individual before campus police took him into custody. According to Mediaite’s account of the footage, someone confronted him about interfering with the group’s free speech by pulling down its flag. While being handcuffed, he responded, “Freedom of speech does not mean freedom from consequences.”
The man then offered an explanation to the officer as police brought the confrontation under control. “I asked them to back up,” he said, according to The Daily Wire. “He was approaching me.” Kitchens, the Turning Point field representative, subsequently announced on social media, “We will be pressing charges.” Frontlines reported that police transported the arrested man to the county jail for processing.
Libs of TikTok also shared the Frontlines footage, bringing the confrontation to its audience with a post condemning the attack on the conservative group. The post described the removal of the American flag and the alleged assault with a cane. Alongside that description, the account wrote, “We have a communist violence problem.”
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Watch the confrontation and police response here:
https://t.co/uTdFPEvKKZ
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) November 10, 2026
University President Julie Philley addressed the incident in a statement sent to students, KLTV reported. She confirmed that the arrested individual was not enrolled at UT Tyler and that police had barred him from campus. “Everyone has the right to free speech, and violence will not be tolerated at this university,” the statement said.
Authorities subsequently identified the suspect as Ciro Stephen Tomlian, 19, of Jacksonville, Texas, according to KLTV’s follow-up report. He was charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and one count of assault causing bodily injury. University Associate Vice President Beverley Golden confirmed that Tomlian was a former UT Tyler student. Chron also reported the charges and identified Parsons as the visiting Texas Tech chapter president.
Republican Rep. Nathaniel Moran also responded, thanking UT Tyler police for acting quickly and condemning violence on college campuses, according to BizPac Review. The East Texas congressman said the conduct didn’t represent the region. “The First Amendment protects your right to speak, even to protest. It does not protect assaulting people you disagree with,” Moran said.
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video.