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A man accused of entering the NFL stadium where the late Charlie Kirk will be memorialized Sunday with multiple guns, knives and fake law enforcement badges, was on site Saturday “doing advance security for a known guest planning to attend the memorial service,” according to a Turning Point USA (TPUSA) spokesperson.
State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, is hosting Kirk’s memorial event, which is expected to draw more than 100,000 attendees.
Joshua Runkles was charged Saturday with felony impersonation of a law enforcement officer and misdemeanor carrying a weapon into a prohibited place, an Arizona Department of Public Safety spokesperson said.
He was released on bond after being booked into the Maricopa County Jail.
TPUSA spokesman Andrew Kolvet released a statement on X clarifying Runkles was “doing advance security for a known guest planning to attend the memorial service.”
“We do not believe this person was attempting anything nefarious, however the advance was not done in proper coordination with the TPUSA security team or US Secret Service,” Kolvet wrote. “Also important to note that this was before the site had been fully sealed and locked down. Every precaution is being taken to ensure everyone’s safety.”
The Secret Service responded to Kolvet’s statement, noting it cannot overlook criminal impersonation.
“”The defendant displayed credentials that the issuing law enforcement agency said were invalid,” Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi wrote in a statement to Fox News. “He had firearms and knives on his person and the Department of Public Safety charged him with criminal impersonation and weapons charges as he did not have the authority in Arizona to have those items.”
Newly released probable cause documents say Runkles gained access into State Farm Stadium Friday afternoon armed with a loaded pistol, revolver and several knives after disobeying a DPS trooper who told him he was not allowed to be armed.
He allegedly told authorities he was in the stadium working on a security detail for Turning Point USA and presented a Franklin County Sheriff’s Office badge and an Idaho law enforcement identification card.
CHARLIE KIRK’S MEMORIAL: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE EVENT IN ARIZONA
Court documents note Runkles is not associated with, or employed by, the sheriff’s office as the badge and ID card represented.
A federal source familiar with the investigation had also told Fox News that the man was a former law enforcement member from another state.
Runkles has a conceal carry weapon permit issued in North Carolina, though it is unclear if that is where he lives.
CHARLIE KIRK’S MEMORIAL: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE EVENT IN ARIZONA
The development comes as police are expecting approximately 100,000 people to attend Kirk’s memorial service at State Farm Stadium and an overflow arena on Sunday, Sept. 21, according to media reports.
State Farm Stadium has fixed seating for 63,400 and can expand to over 73,000 for larger events, according to the venue.
The Department of Homeland Security also designated the memorial service as a “Special Event Assessment Rating Level 1,” which is “reserved for events of the highest national significance” and the same severity as the Super Bowl.
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Erika Kirk, Charlie Kirk’s widow; President Donald Trump; and Vice President JD Vance are among those who will speak at the event.
Fox News’ Jeff Paul, Alex Nitzberg and Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.
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