Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez’s alleged shooting victims have experienced intimidation and threats following the attack.
Velasquez faces jail time for the attempted murder of Henry Goularte, an alleged molester of one of Velasquez’s younger relatives. In February, Velasquez chased down Goularte with his vehicle and shot and injured Goularte’s stepfather, Paul Bender.
If convicted, Velasquez could spend 20 years in prison following the incident. Many of his UFC colleagues, including Alexander Volkanovski and Daniel Cormier, have spoken in favor of Velasquez in recent months.
While Goularte, not Bender, was the main target, he and his wife have suffered trauma since the alleged shooting. They also called for Velasquez to be denied bail, accusing Velasquez of not “respecting human life”.
In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Bender’s lawyer, Patrick Steinfeld revealed the aftermath for both Bender and Patricia Goularte.
“Patty Goularte said she was crouched down in the vehicle hiding when she heard the bullets piercing metal of their vehicle,” Steinfeld said. “They are both undergoing therapy at this time. I think there are going to be long-term emotional issues related to this shooting.
“There has been ongoing intimidation from the Cain Velasquez supporters during this entire proceeding,” Steinfeld continued. “There have been no acts of aggression, but the family has been followed. Vehicles have stopped in front of their house for long periods of time and just stared at the Bender household. They’ve been followed to houses of other family members. Paul Bender and Patty Goularte feel threatened by Cain supporters. They find them very intimidating. They fear for their lives. They are afraid that one of Cain’s supporters may try to finish what Cain has started.”
Bender and Patricia Goularte aren’t the only ones who have been allegedly threatened by supporters of Velasquez. A judge presiding over the case requested extra security around the clock as they were concerned for their safety.
Velasquez is scheduled to return to court on June 10th. As for Henry Goularte, he’s scheduled to appear in court for a child molestation case on June 6th.
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