A man accused of spray-painting an obscenity regarding President Trump on a Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson gate, hours before Trump’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, now faces a felony charge in the incident.
Court records show James Garrett Hermansen, 31, is charged with third-degree criminal mischief in the Friday incident.
According to a charging document Anchorage police were part of a security detail for the summit Friday outside the base’s Government Hill gate when they saw a man later identified as Hermansen spray-paint “F--- Trump” in red paint on a corner of the gate’s sign.
A Facebook video at the scene showed airmen unsuccessfully trying to remove paint from the sign using various cleaning materials.
Police say they stopped Hermansen, a passenger in a Ford Taurus sedan, when he tried to leave the scene.
“Officers observed red paint covering both of his hands,” police wrote in the charges. “A red Devastator Machine Ink Paint marker and a Permanent Alcohol Ink 10mm chisel tip marker were found on his person.”
Base security staff said they wanted to press charges against Hermansen, according to police. The damages were estimated in excess of $750, making the matter a felony.
Air Force 1st Lt. Jeremiah Robinson, a spokesperson for JBER's 673d Air Base Wing, said in an email that the graffiti was the only significant issue reported on base during Friday's summit.
"Other than that incident, there were no acts of violence, further vandalism or major things to note," Robinson said. "There were multiple protests, but all remained peaceful and protesters complied with all requests to stay off military property."
Hermansen, who was with a group of pro-Ukraine protesters outside the base Friday morning, spoke with Alaska Public Media reporters covering community response to the summit. He told them that the leaders’ meeting “made my skin crawl, because the devil is in my home, and I feel that evil shouldn't feel safe in Alaska.”
Hermansen remained in custody Monday at the Anchorage Correctional Complex.
