Not one to shy away from a camera, a Charlottesville man and Internet celebrity had a more somber cameo than he’s used to during January 4 video appearances in Charlottesville General District Court and Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.
A day after a police standoff, which lasted several hours and required the presence of a SWAT team, 25-year-old Bryan Silva was denied bond until he meets with his attorney. At the first hearing, Judge Robert Downer asked Silva at least twice if he was previously out on bond for other charges, but the wavy, brown-haired Silva said he wasn’t sure.
Silva said he has, however, met with a probation officer and taken two anger management classes for pending assault charges from October.
When the judge asked where he was employed, Silva answered, “Facebook,” and said he has more than 1.5 million followers.
In his most recent arrest, Silva is charged with abduction and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Since 2009, he has been charged with assault, shoplifting or altering the prices of merchandise, destruction of property and possession of marijuana in Charlottesville, and in Albemarle and Orange counties.
Police say Silva’s 17-year-old girlfriend left his home on Jefferson Park Avenue Sunday and went to the house of a neighbor, who called the police. The victim told police Silva held her against her will and threatened her with a handgun. She said he also threatened to shoot the police.
Officers went to Silva’s residence in the 2500 block of JPA and made contact with him by telephone. Silva, who posted first-hand videos of the standoff to his mass of followers, would not cooperate and refused to leave his home. The SWAT team joined police because of the presence of a firearm and Silva’s alleged threats.
Eventually, police shot tear gas into Silva’s home and he emerged, hands in the air and pants around his ankles. He was then taken into custody. Police seized a handgun from his residence.
In one video of the standoff, he can be seen drinking a clear liquid from a Grey Goose bottle and bopping up and down while spewing profanity and phrases such as “gettin’ money.” The video is accompanied by the caption, “Broke fufu lames and I are not the same.” The video had 2,089 likes and nearly 1,400 shares at press time.
He got even more likes—3,276, to be exact—on a minute-long video he took of the police outside his house, in which he makes lewd comments about the officers and brags about his “drop top Mercedes Benz.”
Silva told the judge at his first bond hearing of the day that he would be able to afford his own attorney. At his second hearing, Silva said his current attorney Scott Goodman will represent him, though he hadn’t been able to contact him about his most recent arrest. He was appointed temporary counsel.
Silva is probably most well-known for his appearance on Comedy Central’s “Tosh.0,” in which he spends the day with comedian and host Daniel Tosh, who prompts Silva to discuss how he gained his following and pokes fun at Silva’s well-known 2014 video in which he filmed himself shirtless in front of a mirror, singing and making gun noises (hence the word he coined, “gratata,” which is supposed to sound like a gun firing and has been imitated by his followers).
His next hearing will be February 11 at 1pm in Charlottesville General District Court, followed by a Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court appearance on February 19 at 11am.
