WASHINGTON, D.C. – Manuel Oliver, whose son Joaquin was killed in the Parkland massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, appeared in a Washington, D.C., court Thursday.
“(It lasted) probably less than five minutes,” Oliver said.
He faced a judge on Thursday after he was arrested in March during a heated House hearing on gun laws. The charges were dropped.
Oliver was seen in a video on the ground in handcuffs in a hallway pinned down by two Capitol police officers after he was kicked out of the hearing.
Local 10 spoke with Oliver on Thursday after he appeared in court.
“They dropped the charges. I still don’t know what the charges were; they ended up dropping everything.”
This is not the first time he’s spoken out to politicians.
Last summer, he interrupted a speech by President Biden on the White House lawn during the signing of a bipartisan Safer Communities Act. It was the most significant gun safety law in nearly three decades.
Since his son’s murder, Oliver has become a strong advocate for gun reform.
“I hope I’ll see change and in the meantime, until I don’t see any change, I will be raising Joaquin’s voice through our persona. Yes, I will.
Oliver is calling for the White House to open an office of Gun Violence Prevention. He says Biden could have that office created immediately.