Armed man impersonating law enforcement arrested at Arizona stadium ahead of Charlie Kirk's funeral

GLENDALE, ARIZONA: An armed man who was allegedly posing as a member of law enforcement was detained Friday, 20 September, inside State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, the US Secret Service said.

The NFL stadium is set to host activist Charlie Kirk’s memorial service on Sunday, September 21.

Secret Service confirms armed man’s detention at stadium

Authorities stated that the incident occurred when Joshua Runkles drew attention to himself for his behavior at the venue. 

"The US Secret Service in coordination with local law enforcement in Glendale, Arizona, is investigating an individual who was observed exhibiting suspicious behavior at State Farm Stadium," Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi told Fox News on Saturday.

"The individual was approached by Secret Service and stated during the encounter that he was a member of law enforcement and that he was armed. The individual is not a member of authorized law enforcement working the event and is currently in custody," Guglielmi added.

The Washington Post reported that the man was armed with a gun and a knife and was already inside the facility, citing a law enforcement official familiar with the matter. Guglielmi said the detention occurred "in the stadium, but it was prior to the setup of any secure perimeter."

Former deputy sheriff identified with expired law enforcement credentials

Investigators later learned Joshua Runkles was not an active officer. Instead, he identified himself with paperwork that was no longer valid.

The law enforcement official cited by the publication said the man told Secret Service agents he was at the site to provide private security and presented "inactive law enforcement credentials."

“This guy is a former deputy sheriff out of Idaho. He came and identified himself with expired credentials,” a federal source familiar with the investigation told Fox News. “They are going through his background and trying to figure out what he was up to there.”

Memorial for Charlie Kirk to draw over 100,000 attendees under high security

The large-scale memorial event is expected to bring crowds inside and outside the stadium amid high security. Officials estimate attendance could exceed 100,000.

According to a law enforcement bulletin obtained by ABC News, authorities are "tracking several threats of unknown credibility."

The memo reportedly states: "Violent extremists and unaffiliated lone offenders may view the memorial service or related events as attractive attack targets due to the attendance of these individuals, other senior US government officials, state and local government officials, and political activists and due to major international media attention."

The Department of Homeland Security has designated Kirk’s memorial service a Level 1 Special Event, the highest possible security classification, on par with Super Bowl-level planning.

Full list of speakers at Charlie Kirk’s memorial 

The full list of speakers includes Erika Kirk, President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Also, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Donald Trump Jr, Tucker Carlson, White House advisor Stephen Miller, and Sergio Gor.

Christian worship singers Chris Tomlin, Brandon Lake, Phil Wickham, Kari Jobe Carnes, and Cody Carnes will perform at the event, along with musical artists Lee Greenwood and Steve Amerson.