Ted Nugent Threatened with Death,
Cops Say
Anti-Fur Activist Charged with Terrorizing Rock Star

July 31, 2000

By Richard Zitrin

SAN FRANCISCO (APBnews.com) – An
anti-fur protester was charged with threatening
to kill rock ‘n’ roll star Ted Nugent, an
outspoken hunting and gun advocate, before
Nugent performed at a weekend concert, police
said today.

Bhaskar Sinha, 21, of San Francisco was
charged with threatening to attempt to terrorize
and battery after a Sunday confrontation
between anti-fur protesters and Nugent and his
wife, Shemane. The demonstration took place
at the Neiman Marcus store in Union Square,
police said.

Eight to 12 demonstrators were outside of the department store, which
sells furs, when the Nugents showed up around 4 p.m., police said. Some
of the demonstrators recognized Nugent and shouted insults, police said.

The Nugents left the store after about 10
minutes and were followed by six protesters,
who swarmed around the rock star and called
him a “murderer” and a “redneck,” police
said.

Incident caught on video

The two police officers outside of the store called for backup shortly before
Nugent came walking up to one of the officers. He was holding Sinha by
the arm, police said.

“Officer, this man just threatened the lives of my family and me,” Nugent
told police.

Nugent said Sinha asked him when he was next planning to go hunting,
and Nugent told him, “Could be any day,” police said.

Sinha allegedly responded by telling Nugent, “Well, then we will be there to
gun you down and kill your family, too.”

Nugent said Sinha also hit him with his protest sign, police said.

Some of the protesters told police that Nugent spit on Sinha and assaulted
him, but police did not charge Nugent because there was no sign of saliva
on Sinha’s shirt, authorities said. Officers also viewed a video from a store
security camera and saw no indication that Nugent spit on or assaulted
Sinha, police said.

Music legend heads bow hunting club

The 51-year-old Nugent was in the area to perform Sunday night with the
rock band KISS in nearby Concord.

The Detroit native, known as the “Motor City Madman,” rose to fame in the
1960s as guitarist for Ted Nugent and The Amboy Dukes. He also has
performed with the band Damn Yankees, which he formed in 1989, and
currently is opening for KISS.

Nugent has been bow hunting longer than he has been playing music,
though. He began bow hunting in 1953, three years before he learned how
to play the guitar, according to his biography on the Web site of the group
he heads, Ted Nugent United Sportsmen of America.

He also operates a bow hunting school, a group that books hunting
expeditions, and an outdoor camp for children; has written a book on bow
hunting; edits and publishes Ted Nugent Outdoors Magazine; and this
month released his autobiography, “God, Guns, & Rock ‘N’ Roll.”

Allegedly made anti-immigrant comments

Nugent’s run-in with fur protesters was not his first brush with controversy
on his current tour. He has pulled out of an Aug. 22 concert with KISS in
Houston because promoters asked him to promise not to make offensive
remarks.

Nugent upset some Latinos when, during performances in April in Houston
and San Antonio, he criticized people who live in the United States but do
not speak English. Nugent said they should return to the countries where
they came from.

Houston Latino leaders called for a national boycott of Nugent, saying his
comments contribute to immigrant bashing.

Richard Zitrin is an APBnews.com national correspondent
([email protected]).