The man who was arrested outside Donald Trump’s rally in Coachella for illegal possession of firearms insists he would never hurt the former president.

Vem Miller vehemently denies he had any plans to assassinate the Republican presidential nominee, who has already experienced two prior assassination attempts. Miller, who was arrested Saturday at a checkpoint outside the rally for illegally possessing two firearms, described himself as a complete supporter of Trump.

“Trump has been one of my top few inspirations and he’s one of the few people if he were to really be shot by somebody, I’d be the first person to jump in front of that bullet because I feel as though the work that is doing is very important for the future of this country,” Miller told NBC4.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said Miller’s vehicle was stopped outside the rally near the intersection of Avenue 52 and Celebration Drive. Officials said he had a handgun, a shotgun and a high-capacity magazine. Additionally, the man is accused of traveling in an unregistered vehicle and being in possession of multiple passports and identification cards with different names.

“These were lawfully purchased guns where I have registered in Nevada,” said Miller, who is from Las Vegas. He added that he was unaware of California’s different firearm laws and that his passports and ID’s were all legitimate.

“The way they try to represent the story like they did some investigation and that sort of thing is pure nonsense, absolute nonsense,” Miller said.

Riverside police arrested a man outside former President Donald Trump’s Coachella rally this weekend as authorities feared a third assassination attempt. Alex Rozier reports for the NBC4 News at 4 p.m. on Oct. 14, 2024.

Despite Miller maintaining his innocence, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said he firmly believes the man intended to harm Trump.

“If he wants to say he was an innocent victim, then he also has to say how dumb it was to come out to believe that he could do all of those and try to get into that event with guns,” Bianco said. “I don’t care if he’s a supporter of President Trump.”

Miller said he is an investigative journalist and documentary filmmaker for his organization “The America Happens Network,” and said he had a special invitation to attend the rally.

He hopes there is a full investigation into Bianco’s accusations to clear his name. He also said he plans on suing the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department for defamation.

It took several PIT maneuvers to stop a high-speed driver during a roughly 90-minute car chase throughout the Inland Empire Monday night.

A driver wanted in connection with an armed robbery led law enforcement on a pursuit from Hesperia to near Lake Arrowhead, traveling at speeds of up to 120 mph on the 15 Freeway.

Evading at least six patrol units, the driver zoomed through the freeway lanes in a desperate attempt to fend off authorities.

At about 10 p.m., the first PIT maneuver was performed on the suspect vehicle, stalling it for a few minutes before the tenacious driver attempted to speed off again. It took at least two more tries for deputies from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department to stop the driver.

Ultimately, the driver came to a complete halt after a deputy rear-ended the suspect vehicle and another deputy blocked them in. The vehicle finally stopped on the norththbound 15 Freeway near the 138. The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department confirmed shots were fired during the confrontation.

“A lethal force encounter occurred. Nothing further,” the department said in a statement.

It is unclear if any of the law enforcement officials who performed the PIT maneuvers were hurt during the ordeal.

A transformation is taking place in the Riverside at the site of a closed-down Sears. The now-shuttered space at the corner of Arlington and Streeter Avenues will now be redeveloped into new housing and shops.

According to Councilman Steven Robillard, the city hopes the 17-acre development will bring new life into the neighborhood and boost the local economy.

“The plan right now is to do 380 apartment units and townhomes,” said Councilman Steven Robillard. “An Aldi grocery store and a building that’s going to be for restaurants and retail. There will also be a dog park open to the public.”

The Councilman says the inside of the retailer, which opened in 1964, is damaged and can’t be renovated. 

Over the past 10 years, he says almost 10,000 people have moved into the city and housing is needed.

“We are trying to attract jobs and higher paying jobs. In order to attract those employers, they need to house their employees, he said

 Several families say this new project means new challenges, but are still optimistic.

“Traffic is already a major issue with the schools that are close together. In the morning, it’s so congested,” said resident and mother Rosa Bravo. “Bringing in more retail and homes, it’s only going to get worse.”

“It’s good for business. We want to have the place packed here but for the traffic, it’s going to be tough to get around,” said local retail worker Pedro Siordia 

The project is owned by Riverside Property Owner LLC. While the cost is unclear, at this time the, new plan looks like it will take time to fit in with the community.

The city says the new project’s look will match the original architect of this building. The area will be demolished next year and open in 2027.