A 57-year-old man was arrested and faces an assault charge following the fight at the protest Saturday, police said.
Juan Figueroa
Dallas police detained a man at the No Kings protest in downtown Dallas Saturday afternoon after an incident, according to video captured by a Dallas Morning News staff photographer.
The video shows two Dallas police officers holding the man, wearing a hat and shades, with half of his face covered in a mask, against a wall on the side of the street.
On Sunday, Dallas police spokesperson Corbin Rubinson confirmed the name of the man arrested, a 57-year-old named Chad Rodgers.
Billy Bowers, 62, said he attended Saturday’s No Kings protest as a way to show up and speak against the direction of the country under the Trump administration.
As he and others marched down South Ervay Street, the group was confronted by counter-protesters.
“He was trying to incite people to get mad,” Bowers said.
The man, later identified as Rodgers, wore a mask had appeared alongside conservative influencer Alex Stein. The counter-protesters chanted back at the protesters, saying it was their day and they had a right to be there as well, Bowers said.
Police escorts at the front of the No Kings protest quickly surrounded and separated the groups.
Bowers said a fight started after one of the counter-protesters pushed someone, which led to a shoving match and then fists flying. Rodgers allegedly hit Bowers and two other men.
“He got me in front of a cop,” Bowers said. “That’s why he got arrested.”
Dallas police then pushed the Rodgers against a wall and put him in handcuffs as the protest continued down Ervay and the counter-protesters left.
A photo captured by a Dallas Morning News staff photographer shows Rodgers wearing what looks like a law enforcement badge. It is unclear whether he is associated with any law enforcement agency.
Rodgers faces a misdemeanor assault charge against an elderly or disabled individual, according to Rubinson.
After the brief fight, a bright blue and red Trump 2024 flag waved in high wind in front of police as they escorted protesters downtown.
Police presence increased as protesters moved along Elm Street toward the heart of downtown. Several patrol cars lined the street, their red lights flashing, as demonstrators passed by chanting, “This is what democracy looks like.”
Suryatapa Chakraborty is a breaking news reporter at The Dallas Morning News. She graduated from Boston University with a master’s degree in Journalism. She has previously reported for Boston Globe Media and the Cape Cod Times.
By Timia Cobb
Timia Cobb is a breaking news reporter for the Dallas Morning News as of June 2025. She previously worked with Syracuse.com |The Post-Standard and as a fellow with the Texas Tribune. She has a master’s degree in Magazine, News and Digital Journalism from Syracuse University and a bachelor’s in journalism from Texas State University.
Miriam has previously written for USA Today, The Daily Beast, Inverse, The New York Times and others. She holds a master’s degree in immunology from the University of Oxford and another master’s in journalism from Boston University.
