Richard Maza, a 51-year-old California YouTube personality, has been arrested and charged with aggravated assault after allegedly pepper spraying an unsuspecting shopper outside a Costco store as part of a stunt to gain views on his channel.
Maza, who describes himself as a First Amendment auditor, has a YouTube channel titled 'Freedom of the Press' where he films in public spaces, claiming to defend First Amendment rights.
However, investigators believe Maza deliberately provoked the victim, who suffered a corneal abrasion and up to 80% vision loss, leading to a civil lawsuit that could cost Maza over $1 million in damages.
Maza faces a maximum seven-year prison term if found guilty on both counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and felony use of tear gas.
