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Stalker Assaults Alec Peters at Dragon Con

By September 7, 2021 January 16th, 2024 Axanar Legal Watch, Captain's Log

On Sunday, September 5th, Shawn O’Halloran, the cyber-stalker who has harassed Alec Peters and Axanar for 6 years, flew into Atlanta from his home in Las Vegas and assaulted Alec while he was working at the Ares Studios Booth.  This assault elevates Shawn from cyber-stalker to full blown stalker.  Flying across state lines to stalk and engage a person you have been stalking for 6 years manifests the crime and Alec plans on reporting this matter to the FBI.

Shawn O’Halloran

THE FACTS

In the afternoon on Sunday, Shawn, wearing a mask that covered most of his face, approached the Ares Studios booth, carefully waiting till Crysstal had left to run an errand. Alec was alone in the booth with actor Rob Hayes, and Shawn started yelling and singing “Happy Birthday” ending with “coward” and shoving a copy of one of Alec’s posts from Facebook in Alec’s face.  Rob, and two dealers who were close by, noted that Shawn was shouting, using the F-word and being belligerent.  Alec told Rob to go get security.  Continuing to threaten Alec with his actions and words, Shawn shoved his phone in Alec’s face, Alec knocked the phone out of Shawn’s hand, and Shawn crashed through Alec’s booth, put his hands on Alec and grabbed his phone.  Alec started calling for security.

The police arrived and took the statements of both parties, Rob and two dealers who saw Shawn being aggressive with Alec, and defended Alec.   One officer took a copy of Shawn’s video, and the other told me that based on the video and witness statements, I was justified in knocking the phone out of his hand.  Both Alec and Shawn were asked to leave the show as that is Dragon Con policy, that both parties in any altercation must leave the show.

While Shawn claimed he was working for Paul Jenkins, the former director of Axanar who was fired for unprofessional and inappropriate behavior, and whom Alec is suing, Paul denies this fact.  Shawn’s badge was also not that of a vendor or artists, proving Shawn was, as usual, not telling the truth.

Alec is following up with the local courts to get a Temporary Protective Order for him and Crysstal as well a s a concealed carry permit for a firearm, as it is very clear that Shawn is a deranged stalker who is dangerous to other people.  Alec is also filing a complaint with the FBI for stalking.

THE RELEVANT LAW

STALKING:
 
18 USC 2261A
 
Whoever—
 
(1) travels in interstate or foreign commerce or is present within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, or enters or leaves Indian country, with the intent to kill, injure, harass, intimidate, or place under surveillance with intent to kill, injure, harass, or intimidate another person, and in the course of, or as a result of, such travel or presence engages in conduct that—
     (A) places that person in reasonable fear of the death of, or serious bodily injury to—
         (i) that person;
         (ii) an immediate family member (as defined in section 115) of that person;
         (iii) a spouse or intimate partner of that person; or
         (iv) the pet, service animal, emotional support animal, or horse of that person; or
     (B) causes, attempts to cause, or would be reasonably expected to cause substantial emotional distress to a person described in clause (i), (ii), or (iii) of subparagraph (A); or
 
(2) with the intent to kill, injure, harass, intimidate, or place under surveillance with intent to kill, injure, harass, or intimidate another person, uses the mail, any interactive computer service or electronic communication service or electronic communication system of interstate commerce, or any other facility of interstate or foreign commerce to engage in a course of conduct that—
     (A) places that person in reasonable fear of the death of or serious bodily injury to a person, a pet, a service animal, an emotional support animal, or a horse described in clause (i), (ii), (iii), or (iv) of paragraph (1)(A); or
    (B) causes, attempts to cause, or would be reasonably expected to cause substantial emotional distress to a person described in clause (i), (ii), or (iii) of paragraph (1)(A),
shall be punished as provided in section 2261(b) or section 2261B, as the case may be.
 

Shawn with Paul Jenkins at the Las Vegas Star Trek convention.

In addition, Alec plans to serve discovery on Paul Jenkins, the former Axanar director who Alec is suing for fraud, libel and copyright fraud (Paul falsely claimed he was the sole author of the Axanar script Alec wrote, and he and Paul edited).  There is a question as to whether Paul conspired with Shawn in this stalking incident, as Shawn claimed he was working for Paul at the convention.  Paul is now claiming that is not true, so Alec’s attorney will be serving discovery and questioning Paul during his upcoming deposition to see if Paul Jenkins enabled and conspired with Shawn.

Join the discussion 24 Comments

  • Sidney Allen Fein says:

    Good man, getting a CCP and a decent pistol is the last line of defense and I’m glad to know you have that line. I carry a Walther PPQ M2, great weapon. I don’t want to presume on your knowledge levels, so standard spiel. Learn safety, practice practice practice, never point it at anything you do not intend to destroy. Glad you’re ok and taking action instead of being a victim. Tells me a lot about the kind of man you are.

    • Axanar Staff says:

      I grew up with guns. Never thought I needed to carry one until this lunatic assaulted me. I would honestly rather NOT carry a gun. But it is clear that Crysstal and I need protection.

      Thank you for your concern.

      Alec

      • KevinH says:

        Alec,
        I am sorry to hear what happened. But do not despair about carrying a gun. It is an unfortunate statement on our society perhaps. But it is your God given right. I have owned guns as a sportsman probably 40 years. I have carried a pistol for self defense for probably 10 years now. Maybe a it more. ut now it is a part of me. I don’t even think about it. It’s like your keys or your cellphone. You just grab it up o your way out. Be sure to get proper training. And PRACTICE all the time. This really is a martial art. Muscle memory is a good thing….

  • John Nelson says:

    I never understood all the legalities of the matter with Ares studio and Axanar. I can understand frustration and animosity. But verbal and physical assault is way to far. This person needs to go to jail and get “The Book” thrown at them.

  • Jerry Taylor says:

    Sorry to hear Dragoncon got ruined for you in my longtime home base of Atlanta. I hope you swore a warrant on him in Georgia.

  • David says:

    Wow.. what a psycho.

    I’ve been a supporter of Axanar for a long time. Can’t wait to see the finished piece. While i might not agree with some of Alec’s politics, and i think the whole “jewish space laser” thing is stupid political propaganda, it’s simply NOT acceptable to do what this lunatic did. You show your support or displeasure with something a content creator is doing, with your wallet.. and, if you’re not a nutjob, though civil discourse.

    I hope this guy gets some jail time for this, and i hope Alec is ok going forward.

  • CUrtis W. Rendon says:

    Oh, WOW!

    I am so befuddled by this behavior.

    Thank the gods and goddesses Alec and Crystal are alright.
    You all continue to be right by yourselves,
    my continued love and support,

    Courage.
    Curtis

  • Catherine A. McClarey says:

    My husband and I attended Dragon Con once many years ago (1990, when they were hosting Origins that year), and I remember there were a fair amount of loosely-wired attendees back then, especially among the cosplayers and those staying in the con hotel (connected by skywalk to a shopping mall, I remember, and with a huge round atrium which the hotel rooms, conference rooms, etc. all surrounded), but no physically aggressive altercations (at least none that we witnessed). Best of luck in your legal remedies vs. the stalker!

  • Amanda Payatt says:

    I am sorry to hear that you are having to put up with this kind of behavior. I appreciate that you continue to appear at events and persevere with your projects. The work you do is fantastic and I was glad for the chance to see you in Las Vegas.

  • Michelle Evans says:

    Very glad to know that Alec is okay, but also disturbed that he had to leave the convention when he was simply defending himself. I think they should re-visit that policy. The one who is attacked should not be penalized.

    It’s also interesting that when I first saw this story I wondered if it had something to do with the Tarkovsky film “Stalker.” Happened to have just watched that film last week. Based on what happened, and the jeopardy Alec was in, I wish it had been about the film instead of about an actual attack. I wish him well in finding justice against both Shawn and Jenkins.

  • Matthew Markovich says:

    How very sad that even so-caalled StaR treK fans would do something like this. I have issues with how Alec has done some things but nothing to warrant assault. This guy Shawn looks like a crazy person. Hope Alec fully recovers and things get back on track. I still want a DVD of the final product when available. I think I signed up for Blu-ray. Best to Axanar.

  • Denny says:

    So sorry this terrorist is messing with you. I’ve had a 13 yr stalker and slanderous internet blogger as well.
    Prayers

  • Steve says:

    Read the incident thru DC’s FB page. Do not blame you, I’m surprised you were lenient as you were with him from the start. Guy has a screw loose and should be evaluated if he is safe to be in public or not. I as well as others out there hope this incident does not falter your love for the fans. This guy seems to have more than an axe to grind for some unknown and maybe deeper reasoning but still needs to be locked up.

  • Michael Derek Osburn says:

    Shawn O’Halloran just made an expensive world of hurt for himself and Paul Jenkins. Those two should be banned from all conventions like gamblers caught cheating in a casino.

  • Shane Freund says:

    Fuck em up in court Alec. These assholes need to learn and be a lesson to others.

  • Christine says:

    I’m just glad he didn’t escalate further. Arming yourself and getting that restraining order will be good. What a psycho!

  • Mike says:

    Surprised this “Shawn” person isn’t charged with Assault, since he physically attacked you and had his hands on you, potentially even an attempt at strangulation (which would make it Attempted Murder, or Conspiracy to Commit Murder).

    I’d like to say, this person needs “help” for whatever mental issues he has, but clearly he is too far gone. Sooner or later, he’s gonna do something to someone which ends far worse for all parties involved.

    • Vince says:

      Assault is verbal; for example: someone gets in your face and yells at you and cusses you out.
      Battery is physical; for example: someone walks up to you and places their hands on you or hits you with something (hands included).

      This alleged stalker needs to be behind bars for as long as it takes for him to learn that what he has allegedly done is wrong and against the law.
      I put it that way because he hasn’t been convicted of a crime, yet.

  • James M says:

    My brother’s ex girlfriend stalked me for a year and a half. It’s crazy what those people will do. I still have no clue what made her decide to stalk me. I think it’s a great idea you get a carry permit to protect you and your family. It’s a sad world we live in that you have to do that. I hope you don’t have any more issues with this guy.

  • MJT says:

    Has this got anything to do with that bizarre FB page called “AxaMonitor”? Know how the folks around Alec feel: was an airport greeter for a well-know actor who had a stalker and was our fan group’s “chief security officer” when a stalker unknowingly brought in by a group member made a bee-line for our table just ahead of a police officer coming to arrest them. May I recommend: Gavin DeBecker’s “The Gift of Fear” and “Protecting the Gift” along with Massad Ayoob’s “The Truth About Self-Protection”. Be safe.

  • Roger Robertson says:

    Alec, what is it gonna take to shut these guys up ?? I mean if it’s not you, then it’s these guys !! Enough is enough !!
    Sign me as,
    Roger

  • Vince says:

    You probably should have pressed charges and had him arrested when the police arrived at the scene.

    In Georgia you don’t have to attend any classes for a weapons permit. They cost $79 and are good for 5 years, you just have to go to the probate court closest to where you live, pay the permit fee (they might accept credit cards now), fill out the application, have your picture taken and get fingerprinted. Once all of that is done, your application will be processed and they will do a background investigation (state & federal), once the background investigation is completed (it can take a month or two) and there aren’t any red flags they will mail your permit to you.

    Also in Georgia as of last year, you do not need a weapons permit to openly carry a firearm, but, if you need to carry in other states that have reciprocity or you don’t want to announce to everyone around you that you’re carrying a firearm, you will need to get a weapons permit. Also in Georgia (Florida as well) you cannot carry a firearm into any restaurant that serves alcohol, you can only carry concealed in Florida which means you need to have a Georgia weapons permit for reciprocity purposes. Florida also requires you to attend and pass their concealed weapons course in order to obtain a FL CCW permit.

    Another benefit of the Georgia weapons permit is that even though you still have to fill out ATFE form 4473 when you purchase a weapon, in Georgia the place you’re purchasing the weapon from does not have to do a background check on you (as long as you have a valid permit), that saves you about 30 minutes of waiting for the background check to be completed.

    If you’ve never owned a firearm I would strongly recommend that you attend a firearms safety course, they will teach you everything you need to know in order to safely carry and use a firearm. Most public indoor gun ranges should have firearms instructors available to teach you what you need to know.

    Good luck and please stay safe.

  • Daniel Lynn says:

    There are some truly deranged folks out there and self-protection is getting to be more and more of a concern. As for buying a firearm, if you are not comfortable using lethal force there are some options you may wish to consider. Check out the Byrna line of products. They are CO2 powered and shoot a variety of non-lethal ‘paint balls’ that are either hard rubber or filled with a chemical irritant in powder form. Doesn’t require a concealed weapons permit to purchase or carry. And no, I don’t work for Byrna but am a concealed carry instructor in both NC and SC. Stay safe in any event!

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