A man who showed up to MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa and claimed to be Captain America was arrested with a rifle (inset) in his car, prosecutors say. (U.S. Air Force; U.S. Attorney’s Office)
Move over Chris Evans and Anthony Mackie, there’s a new Captain America.
Authorities in Florida arrested a man who identified himself as “Captain America” and showed up with a gun outside MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Middle District of Florida said Tuesday in a press release.
According to a criminal complaint reviewed by Law&Crime, Baruch Roche II drove up to the entrance of the base shortly after 2 p.m. on Nov. 3. Security asked for identification but he refused and instead identified himself as “Captain America.” He also said he is an active member of the United States Southern Command and has a meeting with a general to “provide top secret information.”
Roche became argumentative and allegedly threatened to come back at a later date and “look for the officers denying him entry.” He also started talking incoherently. Eventually, Roche gave security officers his retired military identification card which had his name on it.
Security eventually took him out of his car and put him in handcuffs. He consented to a search of his car and informed cops that he had a firearm inside the trunk. Inside was a Colt AR-15 rifle with five magazines containing about 125 rounds of ammunition. Firearms are prohibited on the base.
Tampa police responded to the scene and determined that because of his “extreme state of paranoia and psychosis” and his possible threat to the base that he met the criteria of involuntary hospitalization under Florida’s Baker Act. He’s charged with attempted possession of a firearm in a federal facility. Roche also must forfeit the rifle security found in his trunk, prosecutors said. If convicted he faces up to a year in prison.
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