Man named ‘Jihad’ arrested after attack at TPUSA event

A man identified by authorities as Jihad Dphrepaulezz was arrested after a violent altercation at a Turning Point USA (TPUSA) campus event at the University of California, Berkeley on Monday. 

The incident took place during TPUSA’s final stop on its “This Is the Turning Point” tour, which drew hundreds of attendees inside and groups of protesters outside. 

TPUSA Chief of Staff Mikey McCoy wrote on X that “Antifa is breaking through police barricades and threatening our event attendees.”  

Andrew Kolvet, a producer for TPUSA, stated after the event that protesters used tear gas, fireworks, and glass bottles while attempting to disrupt. Despite the chaos, “We had a PACKED HOUSE in the heart of a deep blue UC Berkeley,” Kolvet said. 

According to reports, Dphrepaulezz ripped a cross necklace off an attendee’s neck and punched him multiple times. Images circulating online show the victim’s face bloodied and beaten after the assault.  

Berkeley police later arrested Dphrepaulezz and charged him with assault and robbery. The victim’s medical condition remains unknown. 

The university has not issued a public statement regarding the confrontation, and police have not announced any additional arrests connected to the demonstration. 

Assistant US Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon has made several comments condemning the violence and announced the DOJ is investigating. 

“The First Amendment applies at UC Berkeley, and the United States will not stand idly by while those rights are violated,” Dhillon wrote on X.