Two Turning Point USA (TPUSA) journalists were indicted on Thursday in Maricopa County after an October encounter on the Arizona State University (ASU) campus with a professor who appeared to lunge at the journalists on video.
The Maricopa County indictment, filed at the University Lakes Justice Court, claims TPUSA reporter Kalen D’Almeida and cameraman Braden Ellis harassed, assaulted, and engaged in disorderly conduct during their October 11 confrontation with ASU faculty member David Boyles.
Turning Point USA founder and CEO Charlie Kirk wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that “ASU is retaliating against TPUSA because we’re rallying support to pull taxpayer [money] from their institution.” He insisted the TPUSA “team members did nothing wrong,” and merely “defended themselves” from Boyles.
In an official statement from TPUSA spokesman Andrew Kolvet posted to X, the group reiterated that “Kalen and his cameraman did absolutely nothing wrong,” and promised to “vigorously defend” D’Almeida and Ellis. Kolvet added that TPUSA looks “forward to taking this matter into a courtroom where the very clear video evidence documenting what actually happened will quickly prevail over ASU’s gaslighting and the media’s propaganda,” adding that both men “will be vindicated.”
OFFICIAL STATEMENT REGARDING CHARGES BROUGHT AGAINST TPUSA JOURNALISTS FOLLOWING OCTOBER INCIDENT WHERE ASU PROFESSOR ATTACKED A TPUSA CAMERAMAN:
Kalen and his cameraman did absolutely nothing wrong. We will vigorously defend them and look forward to taking this matter into a… https://t.co/eg4DEteRl4
— Turning Point USA (@TPUSA) December 1, 2023
Boyles, who 12 News reported is the “founder of Drag Story Hour” and “teaches writing and a course on LGBTQ+ youth in pop culture and politics” for the university, is seen in security camera video appearing to lunge at the TPUSA cameraman, prompting D’Almeida to tackle him. Boyles suffered injuries to his face in the incident.
Kirk uploaded a video showing the incident from multiple angles to X, including the aerial security camera video, on October 16.
In the accompanying post, Kirk wrote that Boyles “attacked our crew first,” and D’Almeida responded “to protect his cameraman,” and claimed ASU President Michael Crow is “lying to his university” about the incident.
ASU President Michael Crow was silent last week as pro-Hamas "protestors" denigrated Jewish students on campus, but he worked over the weekend and sent an official email smearing TPUSA after "queer" ASU professor David Boyles attacked our cameraman.
Here's the video evidence,… pic.twitter.com/Bc3q9vrY19
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) October 16, 2023
In a statement obtained by local media, Crow claimed shortly after the incident that Boyles was “followed, harassed, pushed and injured by two men” associated with TPUSA. Crow further alleged that D’Almeida and Ellis waited for Boyles to leave a classroom, then shoved “him to the ground, bloodying his face.” Calling them “cowards,” Crow claimed they “ran away from the scene before police arrived.”
An additional video, posted by Turning Point USA to X on October 12, includes more than 90 seconds of D’Almeida’s interactions with Boyles, which were peaceful but interrogative until the professor appeared to lunge at the cameraman.
In that post, the group revealed it “fully intends to share this footage with local law enforcement,” and suggested Ellis was considering whether to press assault charges against Boyles.
🚨ASU Professor assaults TPUSA cameraman, caught on video 🚨
Our TPUSA Frontlines reporter tried to ask self-professed “sex education obsessed” queer ASU Professor David Boyles, a few simple questions. Refusing to answer, our cameras caught the exact moment Mr. Boyles assaulted,… pic.twitter.com/YJWBEzSgRx
— Turning Point USA (@TPUSA) October 13, 2023
A bipartisan group of Arizona lawmakers recently condemned a scheduled appearance of Representative Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-12) at ASU following a violent protest by the university student group Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) that required members of the university’s student government to be escorted away from a meeting by police.
The university is also facing an investigation in the Arizona Legislature over alleged violations of the First Amendment.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Georgia Star News, The Virginia Star, and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “ASU-TPUSA Incident” by Charlie Kirk.
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