The man arrested during a Fourth of July parade in Columbus has autism and reacted poorly because he felt threatened when his vehicle, decorated with anti-government messages, was surrounded by paradegoers reacting to his signs, according to his parents.

Mark D. Spinler, 31, of Beaver Dam, is free on a $5,000 signature bond after an initial appearance Tuesday in Columbia County on a felony charge of second-degree reckless endangerment.

Spinler has high-functioning autism, according to his parents, Howard and Judy Spinler of Beaver Dam.

Police said Spinler entered a vehicle in the parade decorated with anti-war and anti-government messages, including one that said "9/11 equals inside job," according to a criminal complaint.

There were speakers mounted on the roof playing similar messages that were riddled with profanities, the complaint stated.

Spinler's parents said the messages, described by witnesses as "inappropriate conversation" according to the complaint, were recorded from Internet radio, but Spinler did not understand they were not censored and thought they were OK, according to Judy Spinler,

"We don't have foul language in our home," Judy Spinler told the Daily Register on Tuesday.

Near the end of the parade route, Spinler's vehicle was surrounded by several paradegoers, including a man who approached the passenger side of the vehicle to tell Spinler to stop, the complaint stated.

"Because of his disability, he did not realize what a strong reaction (he would create)," Judy Spinler said.

Another person went in front of the vehicle in an attempt to remove the 9/11 sign when the vehicle accelerated suddenly, striking the person in the knee and causing him to roll onto thehood, then off the vehicle as it drove away, the complaint stated.

The vehicle reversed, bumping but not injuring another person who was attempting to get the license plate number, according to police. Spinler then accelerated forward and veered toward parade watchers, including many children, forcing them to scramble to get out of the way, police said.

Judy Spinler said her son told her he had veered to try to get the man off the hood of the vehicle.

Spinler then left the parade route and was located by authorities on the edge of town removing his signs.

Because of his autism, Spinler suffers from memory problems, cannot work and has no friends outside his family, his parents said.

He spends most of his time on the Internet, where he had gotten the messages, Judy Spinler said.

Judy and Howard Spinler said they did not know that their son had planned to enter the parade until just before July Fourth. Spinler entered a parade in Randolph on Labor Day, they said.

Howard Spinler said his son avoids confrontation, and that if parade organizers had told Spinler his entry was not acceptable, he simply would have gone home.

His parents also said Spinler suffers from blindness in his right eye and probably was surprised when approached from the passenger side of the vehicle.

"He panicked," Howard Spinler said. "He didn't know how to handle (the situation)."

Judy Spinler said her son saw angry faces and was frightened.

"He will never do this again," she said.

Officers seized the vehicle, a digital camera and the audio recordings he was playing.

The charge carries a maximum initial penalty of five years in prison.

Spinler is scheduled for a pretrial conference Aug. 10.

sgreen@capitalnewspapers.com

745-3504