MT. VICTORY — A man who identifies himself as a member of the Ku Klux Klan is scheduled to be in court Monday after he pulled a gun on a black man who confronted him and his followers as they walked down the street.
Kevin Allen Gibbs, 22, of Hamilton, has been charged with aggravated menacing and obstructing justice, both misdemeanors. Gibbs has a scheduled arraignment Monday in Hardin County Municipal Court.
The incident occurred March 24 in Mt. Victory. Gibbs and six to 10 others were walking up and down the sidewalk. One of the men was in a white Klan outfit. Several people, including one man who is black, in the village confronted the members and asked them to leave, Hardin County Sheriff Keith Everhart said.
Gibbs had a gun with him, which he was carrying in a holster openly, which is legal in Ohio. What was not legal is he pulled the gun during the exchange of words and pointed it at the ground, Everhart said.
"Had he not pulled the gun, everyone would have went their separate ways," Everhart said.
Deputies arrived shortly after the incident started and put an end to it before anything further happened, Everhart said.
While it is legal to open carry a gun or to obtain a license to carry a concealed gun, Everhart said the issue is over when it may be pulled. A person has to have a good reason to pull or use a gun such as that person fears his or her life is at risk, or could be the victim of serious physical harm. Neither one of those existed with Gibbs, he said.
"It was an intimidation ploy and it backfired on him," the sheriff said.
