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A photo shows a person armed with a shotgun near a protest march at the corner of Kirkwood and Walnut. Courtesy Photo by Lisa Wilson
Staff report
BLOOMINGTON — February 11, 2026
Bloomington police say surveillance video and multiple witnesses support felony charges against a man accused of pointing a loaded shotgun at a vehicle during a downtown protest last month, though some protesters told The Bloomingtonian they did not see the gun aimed at anyone.
Ryan Daniel Hughes, 38, was arrested after a Jan. 30 incident at the intersection of South Walnut Street and West Kirkwood Avenue, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in Monroe County. The driver who contacted police reported being blocked by protesters while trying to turn north onto Walnut Street and said a man in all black carrying a red-and-white megaphone and a black shotgun pointed the gun at him as he attempted to move forward slowly.
This was not the same vehicle as the white truck driven by a 65-year-old man, who reported being pepper sprayed by Hughes, this was a white van that moved through the intersection earlier.
Police say video shows the gun “in firing position”
In addition to witness statements, the affidavit says police obtained surveillance video from a stationary camera at Kirkwood and Walnut. According to the report, at about 2:13 p.m., the video shows a white van consistent with the driver’s vehicle moving north on Walnut at a slow speed while protesters stand near and in front of it.
The affidavit says that just before the van enters the camera’s main view, the video shows someone dressed in all black holding a long gun “in firing position” at shoulder level and “pointed at the driver’s side” of the white van.
The affidavit also references a second surveillance video from a nearby business that, police say, shows the white van stopped and then moving forward to turn north on Walnut, with people crowding toward the vehicle and making contact with the passenger side.
Hughes denied pointing the gun, affidavit says
Police located a man matching the broadcast description about 2:54 p.m. and identified him as Hughes, the affidavit states.
After being disarmed and advised of his rights, Hughes told police he was at Kirkwood and Walnut, said he used the butt of the shotgun to strike the van, and admitted insulting the driver — but denied pointing the shotgun at the driver, the affidavit says.
Witnesses told police they saw the shotgun pointed
The affidavit says an identified witness (listed as “W1”) reported seeing a white male in all black with a black mask and beanie, carrying a red-and-white megaphone and a shotgun, and said the man pointed the shotgun at several vehicles.
A second witness (“W2”) told police she was standing near Malibu Grill and saw a man “lift the gun and point it at the window” of a large white vehicle as it turned north on Walnut, then chase alongside it and strike the window with the gun, the affidavit states.
Protesters dispute whether a gun was aimed
Several protesters interviewed by The Bloomingtonian said they did not see Hughes point the gun during the protest, and one protester who said they were working security and spent much of the day near Hughes claimed they reviewed photos from the event and did not see him touching or “brandishing” the firearm.
The Bloomingtonian also asked whether anyone had video of the weapon being pointed. Protesters referenced a separate clip involving a man in a white truck; in that video, the suspect does not appear to point the gun, according to those who shared it.
The police affidavit, however, does not rely only on witness descriptions. It specifically claims surveillance footage captured the long gun held at shoulder level in a firing position and aimed at the driver’s side of the van.
Other confrontations reported during march
In addition to the incident at Kirkwood and Walnut, protesters described other confrontations that day as a portion of the crowd marched from a peaceful rally near City Hall toward Indiana University’s Sample Gates.
One protester told The Bloomingtonian they saw a black SUV strike a protester near the corner of Indiana Avenue and Kirkwood Avenue as the vehicle turned onto Kirkwood. Another protester described a separate altercation near Kirkwood and Dunn Street in which a bystander recording protesters allegedly grabbed a woman and pushed her down, followed by a brief fight in which the man was pushed down and hit before others intervened.
Those additional claims were not detailed in the probable cause affidavit focused on the gun allegation.
City says camera in area is not city-managed
Seeking to independently obtain the same surveillance footage referenced in the affidavit, The Bloomingtonian submitted a public records request through the City of Bloomington’s CivicPlus NextRequest portal for any city-operated camera footage at or near Walnut and Kirkwood, including the pole-mounted camera near Book Corner, for Jan. 31 from 2 to 2:35 p.m.
In a written response closing the request, the City of Bloomington Legal Department said there are “no IT-managed cameras in that area,” adding there “might be a police-managed camera” and directing the requester to Bloomington Police Department public records procedures.
The post Bloomington man charged with pointing shotgun during protest; police cite surveillance video and witnesses first appeared on The Bloomingtonian.
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