DHAKA: A British national who tried to grab a police officer’s gun at a Donald Trump rally in Las Vegas said he wanted to shoot the US candidate.

Michael Steven Sandford, 20, did not enter a plea when he appeared before a judge in Nevada and was remanded in custody until a hearing on 5 July, court papers said.

He is charged with an act of violence “on restricted grounds”, reports the BBC.

He had reportedly tried to seize the gun after saying he was seeking Trump’s autograph at Saturday’s rally.

He said he had been planning to try to shoot Trump for about a year but had decided to act now because he finally felt confident enough to do so, court papers said.

A federal judge found Sandford, who reportedly appeared in court in shackles, to be a danger and risk of non-appearance, and he was ordered detained pending his preliminary hearing.

When asked about the arrest of Michael Sandford, a Foreign Office spokesman said: “We are providing assistance following an arrest of a British national in Las Vegas.”

In March in Ohio agents swarmed around Trump after a man apparently attempted to climb on to the stage where he was speaking. Other events have been cancelled because of security concerns. With five months to go, many Americans are worried about where this election is heading.

BDST: 1424 HRS, JUN 21, 2016
BD