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“I sincerely apologize to anyone who felt threatened by my actions,” he expressed.
“I was merely walking around with a weight vest to get some exercise,” he explained.
Machaya clarified that he was unaware the vest would arouse suspicion. He mentioned it was wrapped in tape to prevent the weights from falling out.
After spending the night in jail, he pleaded his case in court, describing the incident as an honest mistake.
The 34-year-old told 9News that he now sees why he was stopped, acknowledging the community’s heightened concerns. However, he feels the authorities may have overreacted.
“A bomb threat is a bomb threat,” he said.
“I don’t think they needed to keep me in jail for about 14 hours for a weight vest that they could have just looked at right then and there.
A magistrate is set to decide whether Machaya’s acts were malicious or misguided.