ABQ: Gun-toting BLM protester’s charges dropped—will armed pro-police protester get similar justice?

On Sunday, it was reported that a gun-carrying Black Lives Matter protester, Francisco (Frankie) Grady (pictured right), who was arrested at a June Black Lives Matter protest for toting the firearm, had his charges dropped, according to his attorney. 

Grady allegedly broke the City of Albuquerque’s rule that makes it illegal to carry firearms at city parks, with his lawyer, Ryan Villa adding, “I think the city is taking a position that they can apply this law to any public ground, and city property, where a school event may have once taken place or has once taken place, but obviously the district attorney’s office and I don’t agree.” 

Villa continued, “They’re trying to apply state law in a situation where it just doesn’t apply at all.”

Grady blasted the Police, claiming they were targeting him for being a Black man, asking, “why were two African Americans, expressing our same Second Amendment rights, why were we arrested but that other group were not?”

Left-wing media outlets such as the University of New Mexico’s “Daily Lobo” have bemoaned the appearance that “Reopen NM” and pro-police protests have allegedly not been cited for defying the weapons ban, but Black Lives Matter protests have not, inferring that it could have something to do with racism.

But in actuality, Taylor Deblassie (pictured left), was handcuffed and cited at a June 19th event for a similar charge: violating the Mayor’s Administrative Instruction 5-20 because he was open-carrying his holstered pistol.

Deblassie faces a third-degree felony, according to a source close to the situation.

Deblassie claims the Albuquerque Police Department is misrepresenting the facts that he was given a warning given by officers. “This is fake news. There was no warning given to me,” wrote Deblassie on a Fundly page he set up to help him cover legal fees. 

“I am a law-abiding citizen who has never been cited nor arrested in my life so you can imagine the stress and anxiety I’m experiencing,” Deblassie continued.

The two similar cases, one being a Black Lives Matter protester, and one being a pro-police protester, begs the question of whether there will be equal justice applied in these cases.