Trump supporter

charged in melee

A man involved in a March melee in Berkeley between supporters of President Trump and counterprotesters has been charged with a felony count of possessing a lead pipe.

The Alameda County district attorney filed the charge Wednesday against Kyle Chapman, 41, of Daly City.

Chapman, a staunch supporter of Trump, was arrested after the March 4 incident for allegedly beating people with a stick. Videos of the incident surfaced online, making Chapman a cause celebre for the pro-Trump movement. He has since referred to himself on social media as Based Stickman.

Efforts to reach Chapman were unsuccessful. Chapman was one of 10 people arrested in the incident and among a few who have been charged so far.

The videos on YouTube show him holding a wooden shield, wearing a gas mask and hitting counterprotesters on the head with a stick as fights broke out in Civic Center Park.

The charge carries a maximum sentence of one year in county jail.

— Jill Tucker, jtucker@sfchronicle.com