4 arrested on suspicion of vandalizing downtown buildings with anti-Trump graffiti

Early this morning I heard the likeness of President Donald J. Trump made an appearance downtown.

More specifically, I heard someone went on a graffiti spree and spray-painted Trump’s head throughout the area. So I went on a scavenger hunt.

As of late Wednesday morning I found three spray-painted walls that fit the bill: one on the corner of 10th and Massachusetts streets at the U.S. Army Recruiting Station, another in an alleyway off 10th Street between Massachusetts and Vermont, and a third above Pita Pit, 1011 Massachusetts St.

The vandalism shows Trump’s face, perhaps shouting, with the words “Fight Back” and “I love you” surrounding the portrait.

It appears the images landed a few men in jail.

Police heard of the vandalism around 1:34 a.m., Lawrence Police Sgt. Amy Rhoads said in emailed answers to questions. The incident was reported as possible criminal damage in process, she said.

Four men — later identified through the Douglas County Jail’s online booking logs as Connor Clouse, Aaron Bunyar, Joshua Boston and Luke Larson — allegedly used a stencil image of Trump’s head to spray paint downtown buildings, Rhoads said.

All four men were arrested in or around the 900 block of Massachusetts Street, each by a different Lawrence police officer, the booking logs say. Each was arrested on suspicion of two counts of criminal trespassing and four counts of criminal damage to property. However, Larson was also arrested on suspicion of interference. Each was booked into the Douglas County Jail and later released on his own recognizance, the logs say.

Rhoads said she did not immediately have any additional information on the number of graffiti incidents or where they all might be.


I report on crime and courts for the Journal-World. I can be reached by email at cswanson@ljworld.com, by phone at (785) 832-7284 or on Twitter @Conrad_Swanson.