Gay dad who punched ‘MAGA influencer’ in viral video won’t face charges
David and Anthony Vulin with their son, Ante. (CNN)
Los Angeles County prosecutors have waved criminal charges against a gay dad who punched a self-described “MAGA influencer” during a viral altercation.
West Hollywood father David Vulin will not face prosecution, according to his attorney, RJ Dreiling, the LA Times reported.
In April, Vulin was out with his husband, Anthony, and their infant son, Ante. That’s when conservative streamer Ryley Niemi approached them.
Under the guise of a CNN interview, Niemi began asking them about raising their son without a mother and about child abuse.
He then suggested gay men were likely to molest children. “Have you ever heard about the statistics coming out that gay men are much more likely to commit child molestation?” Niemi asked in the video.
He also asks: “Don’t you think it’s weird that you guys have a child but neither of you are a woman?” and later: “You paid a woman $50,000 to be pregnant?”
In video footage shared by Niemi, the couple could be seen trying to walk away from him before things turned physical, and Vulin is seen punching Niemi.
Vulin was arrested on suspicion of battery and vandalism by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Since the incident, more than $200,000 has been raised for the couple’s legal costs through GoFundMe.
Criminal charges will not be filed
On Thursday (22 October), the district attorney’s office confirmed that Vulin’s case was “referred for pre-filing diversion and that criminal charges will not be filed.”
Furthermore, it’s been reported that a Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge would seal all records of Vulin’s arrest.
Following the decision, the Vulins shared that they were relieved by the ruling. However, they added they were disappointed that “the person who provoked this encounter with hate speech then filmed and monetised it, faces no consequences”.
“But we’re determined to turn this into something meaningful,” they said.
“Anthony is working with state legislators on a bill to hold rage-bait creators accountable for the harm they cause.”
Following the case’s attention, Vulin told the real CNN that he was concerned with the “exploitation” he and his family faced.
He said: “I realised that we were manipulated into having this interaction with someone who was exploiting us for viral content.
“I think that across the board, regardless of political identity, people need to extend grace to one another. People need to extend kindness to one another, be nicer to themselves, so that they can be nicer to other people.”
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