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A white couple has been arrested after they were caught on camera pointing a gun at a black woman and her family in front of a restaurant in Michigan, authorities said.
Jillian Wuestenberg, 32, and Eric Wuestenberg, 42, were charged Thursday with criminal assault, Oakland County Attorney Jessica Cooper confirmed in a statement.
The incident involving the couple outside a Chipotle in the municipality of Orion, first reported by Detroit News, went viral online after the family involved taped the confrontation.
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In the videos, which show part of the interaction, a woman can be seen with her gun pointed directly at Takelia Hill, a black woman who said the incident unfolded when she and her 15-year-old daughter Makayla Green were entering the restaurant. . .
The family alleged in the moments before she began recording that Ms. Wuestenberg had run into her daughter when she left the fast food restaurant and that Ms. Green had apologized to the woman, after which the The situation escalated and a discussion ensued.
During the alleged initial confrontation, Ms. Wuestenberg attempted to walk away when Ms. Hill ended up behind the SUV.
The video does not clarify whether Ms. Hill intentionally moved behind the SUV or whether the vehicle backed up to where it was stopped. Mrs. Hill responds by knocking on the rear window of the vehicle, after which the two people inside leave and the woman pulls out the gun.
In the video, the woman yells “stay away” and points her gun directly at Mrs. Hill. She then yells at her to stay away from the back of her vehicle. The woman finally returns to her vehicle and drives off.
Sheriff Michael Bouchard told reporters that the couple, from Independence Township, have both concealed pistol licenses.
Agents confiscated two pistols from the couple after they were detained Wednesday night.
Ms. Cooper, the prosecutor, told the Associated Press that her office viewed the available video and looked at the facts before filing charges.
“It is an unfortunate set of circumstances in which tempers are swooping down, basically it is not a big incident,” he said of the episode.
It was not immediately clear when Mr. and Mrs. Wuestenberg would be prosecuted or if they have attorneys to represent them.
Additional reports from the Associated Press.
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