Man who fired handgun at Richard Spencer rally pleads no contest

Feb. 28 (UPI) -- A Texas man was sentenced to 15 years in prison for firing a handgun at counter-protesters to a white supremacist rally in 2017 at the University of Florida.

Tyler Tenbrink, 30, pleaded no contest Wednesday to charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, the Gainesville Sun reported.

According to Gainesville police, shortly after white nationalist Richard Spencer's appearance at a white supremacist rally was cut short due to being drowned out by protesters Oct. 19, 2017, Tenbrink and two other men traveling in a vehicle pulled up to a bus stop and began yelling "Heil Hitler" and other remarks at the people waiting.

A person then hit the vehicle's back window with a bat. Tenbrink then exited the vehicle after it had driven a short distance away and fired a shot at the crowd, hitting a nearby building.

Tenbrink was originally charged with attempted first-degree murder along with the firearm charge but the charges were reduced after he made a plea deal.

He was sentenced to 15 years for the aggravated assault charge and five years for the weapons charge to be served concurrently.

He is being credited with already having served 496 days in Alachua County Jail, Florida's WUFT 5 reported.

Tenbrink plans to petition the court so he can serve his time in Texas instead of Florida so he could be "closer to my family and my children," he said.