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Protester Arrested at Sen. Flake's Office After Threatening Republicans

Liberals 'are going to get better aim' (Updated)

Protesters hold signs and shout at lawmakers walking out of the US Capitol after the House of Representatives narrowly passed a Republican effort to repeal and replace Obamacare
Protesters hold signs and shout at lawmakers walking out of the US Capitol after the House of Representatives narrowly passed a Republican effort to repeal and replace Obamacare / Getty Images
July 6, 2017

A protester was arrested at Sen. Jeff Flake's (R., Ariz.) office in Tucson, Ariz. on Thursday morning after telling a staffer that "liberals are going to solve the Republican problem" by getting "better aim."

The Tucson Chapter of Progressive Democrats of America scheduled a sit-in at Flake's office on Thursday to push the senator to vote against the Senate's Obamacare repeal bill, NBC affiliate KVOA reports.

The arrested protester was presumably part of the sit-in, although it is not clear.

Mark Prichard, 59, was arrested for making threatening comments toward Republicans and directing them at one of Flake's staffers.

"You know how liberals are going to solve the Republican problem?" the protester asked one staffer, according to Flake's communications director, Jason Samuels.

"No," the staffer responded.

"They are going to get better aim. That last guy tried, but he needed better aim. We will get better aim," the protester said before getting arrested.

The man was likely referencing last month's shooting in Alexandria, Va. A supporter of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) who said he hated Republicans opened fire on a Republican congressional baseball team practice, shooting five people including House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R., La.).

Flake was among the people on the field, but he was not shot.

UPDATED 4:05 P.M.: An earlier version of this story erroneously stated that the arrested protester threatened Samuels himself. Another staff was the one who was threatened.

UPDATED 4:56 P.M.: This post was updated to identify the man arrested for threatening one of Flake's staffers.