ASHEVILLE - A Swannanoa man was found guilty Oct. 2 of assaulting law enforcement officers during then-presidential candidate Donald Trump's October 2024 visit to the unincorporated community in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Helene, records show.

A Buncombe County jury found Leif Brynolf Johnson, 55, of Swannanoa, guilty of two counts of felony assault with a deadly weapon on a law enforcement officer, one count of disorderly conduct and one count of simple assault, court records show.

The Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, North Carolina State Highway Patrol and Asheville Police Department were coordinating security for a motorcade and dignitary visit by Trump on Oct. 21, less than a month after Helene devastated the region. At the time, Mississippi Highway Patrol Troopers were helpi

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