Police Arrest Arizona Shooting Victim After Tea Party Member Threatened

Jan. 16, 2011— -- Police arrested one of the victims of the Arizona shooting after he reportedly threatened a tea party leader at an ABC News town hall event in Tucson on Saturday.

James Eric Fuller, 63, was arrested and ultimately taken for a psychiatric evaluation after the incident in which he threatened Tucson tea party co-founder Trent Humphries at a special edition of ABC's "This Week" with Christiane Amanpour.

Fuller, who apparently objected to something Humphries said during the taped forum, used a cell phone to take a picture of him and allegedly shouted "You're dead," according to the Pima County Sheriff's Department.

KGUN-TV in Tucson reported that Fuller was in the front row at the event, and that he apparently became upset when Humphries suggested that conversations about gun control should be delayed until all the dead were buried.

Fifteen seconds after the conclusion of the town hall event, law enforcement officials approached Fuller and led him to a side entrance. A moment later, Fuller was heard yelling, "What's the matter -- with you -- whores!"

According to Pima County sheriff's spokesman Jason Ogan, Fuller was arrested on misdemeanor disorderly conduct and threat charges.

Authorities decided that Fuller was in need of a mental evaluation as they escorted him off of the premises, and he was taken to a local hospital. The hospital will determine when he will be released, Ogan said.

Fuller, a naval air veteran, was one of 19 people shot at a Tucson, Ariz. Safeway grocery store at a "Congress on Your Corner" event with Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who still remains in critical condition with a bullet wound to the head.

Speaking with CBS' "The Early Show" on Tuesday, Fuller explained how he felt a bullet that hit his knee, but didn't know he had also been struck in the back. According to the Arizona Daily Star, Fuller drove himself to Northwest Hospital after being shot and later was taken to Tucson's University Medical Center, and was released two days later.

He described the shootings as "like a bad crime drama, with a gun being pointed towards me, and a very, seemed like athletic young man pumping rounds off at everybody, and taking aim at us."

In a statement released today, Humphries described and commented on the town hall incident.

"I was asked to give my thoughts on gun control laws and perhaps the passage of new laws. … A gentleman in the audience who I had never met before began booing and made the comment 'you're dead' while taking my picture."

"I was escorted from the location of the filming and spoken to by several deputies about the incident. I told them I was very hesitant to press any charges against this gentleman, but after they urged me to do so based on the gravity of the situation, and the lessons learned from the recent tragedy. I allowed them to proceed as recommended," Humphries said.

"This is another sad piece to add to an already tragic set of events," Humphries added in the statement. "My hope continues to remain that we as a community be allowed the ability to heal and focus on those things that will best help our city and its citizens recover from this deadly tragedy."