Planet Comicon’s Sons of Anarchy panel takes surprise turn as Ron Perlman interviews the men who stopped Chiefs parade shooter

Full panel at PCKC. // Photo by Dan Lybarger

There are always surprises at Planet Comicon. At the last minute, actors Vincent D’Onofrio (Full Metal Jacket) and Sofia Boutella (Atomic Blonde) had to bow out, and actors and cartoonists, whose booths were mildly occupied in previous years, now attracted crowds that stretched across Bartle Hall.

For yesterday’s panel for the television drama Sons of Anarchy, star Ron Perlman (Hellboy) and Charlie Hunnam (The Lost City of Z) spent little time discussing their time pretending to be members of an outlaw motorcycle club, and used the time to celebrate how Trey Filter from Maize, Kan. and Omaha’s Paul Contreras helped subdue an armed suspect during the mass shooting that took place at Union Station on February 14 after the parade celebrating the Chiefs’ victory in the Super Bowl. Both were unarmed and had brought their kids to the parade. Filter had also brought his wife. Several people were hurt in the shooting, and popular KKFI disc jockey Lisa Lopez-Galvan died.

Ron Perlman. // Photo by Dan Lybarger

Perlman correctly figured that the crowd would be more interested hearing how Contreras and Filter prevented further bloodshed. The loud applause that greeted them as they entered confirmed his hunch. He had spent his spare time during Planet Comicon’s 25 anniversary to get to know them and then got them to discuss again what they had previously talked about over beer.

“Charlie and I are obsessed with heroism because I think the reason why we become actors is because we try to get right in our storytelling stuff that definitely can’t get right in our real life,” Perlman says. “I know this is supposed to be a Sons of Anarchy panel about a show that purported to be about a bunch of badasses, but these are a couple of the real deals.” 

Hug on the stage. // Photo by Dan Lybarger

Moderators like Kid Cadet, who’s also a vocalist and a recruiter for American Idol, usually supervise the panels, but Perman spent most of the time posing questions to Filter and Contreras and making astute, if profane, observations. 

What would one expect from the actor who played Hellboy?

What was most striking about watching the two Chiefs fans in person is that, while neither knew the other until February 14, both gave, vivid, but matter-of-fact accounts of what happened in a, short, but vital time. 

“Me and my daughters assumed it was fireworks because we were at a celebration for the parade,” Contreras says. 

“I was walking with my daughters toward the bridge. There was a gentleman on the right side just screaming at top of his lungs saying, ‘Stop this guy! Tackle this guy!’ No sooner I looked to my left and saw Trey lunging at him, and he somehow slipped away. I was just right there, and I jumped on the suspect’s back and took him down to the ground. We rolled one time, but as I was taking him down, I saw the weapon fall to the ground, and right then and there I know it’s on. He had one weapon. He’s wearing a big, bulky jacket. He can have big pockets to hold another handgun.”

Filter then helped Contreras hold the suspect down until the police arrived.

“We didn’t know until they yelled ‘gun,’” Filter says. “I recall a cop running through the crowd and chasing after one of the gentlemen in black. Once that happened, they came into my square, if you will, since we were in a large crowd. I didn’t know what I was thinking. I didn’t think about it much. I’m glad Contreras was there. I didn’t think about it much, but I was happy to do it.”

“And you guys never met before, and now you will be connected for life,” laughed Perlman.

Filter & Contreras. // Photo by Dan Lybarger

Both men recalled quickly leaving the scene after the suspect was handcuffed ,and that they knew their families were safe. On the road home, both men learned they had been recognized for their bravery

“It was definitely a different experience for a family to have. My oldest son was taking a video and some gentleman pulled him away. They’re older boys, but they enjoyed the new attention. It was a very sobering experience,” said Filter.

Kid Cadet. // Photo by Dan Lybarger

During his two and a half hour drive home, Contreras says, “Out of nowhere my phone starts ringing. My two older daughters’ phones start ringing. We gave no information to nobody. The next thing you know we’ve got national news, local news. Everybody’s wanting interviews. My daughters were writing down what time and who for interviews. We were almost home.”

“I still don’t understand how it happened,” said Perlman. “It was probably on social media, so they’ve got our pictures and are trying to track you down. I guess that’s one of those things where Apple has all of our shit.”

Perlman asked if either man had heard from the Kansas City Chiefs’ front office. “We haven’t heard anything from the Chiefs. We didn’t come here to hear anything from the Chiefs. We came here to support the Chiefs, and that’s where we stand,” Filter says. 

“We know the city of Kansas City has experienced a lot since then. You’ve been a class act by having us here. We can’t thank you enough.” 

Perlman jokingly informed the crowd the two would be signing autographs at the convention and then posed with them for a crowd shot.

It might not be surprising if next year’s Planet Comicon featured heroes who wore baseball caps instead of capes. While the two didn’t have a booth for autographs or selfies, they didn’t need to do anything more to earn a city’s gratitude.

Contreras & Hunnam. // Photo by Dan Lybarger