An armed man rushed toward Dr. Amy Acton, Ohio’s Democratic nominee for governor, during a visit to a local fair on Sunday, setting off a chaotic scene that left two people injured before authorities quickly took him into custody.
The man, identified by local news outlets as Patrick Havas, “lunged” in Acton’s direction as she attended the annual Canfield Fair in Mahoning County, according to Addie Bullock, communications director for the Acton campaign.
“Dr. Acton and Eric are grateful for the swift and decisive action of law enforcement and are praying for the recovery of those injured. This kind of violence has no place in Ohio. Dr. Acton will always stand up to the chaos, hate, and vitriol that pits us against one another,” Bullock said in a statement.
Havas, 38, forced his way into the Mahoning County Democratic Party tent and shoved toward the front, knocking several volunteers to the ground along the way, Mahoning County Democratic Party Chair Chris Anderson said in a statement posted on social media.
Mahoning County Sheriff Jerry Greene told 21 News that Havas was holding a phone camera and was armed with two firearms and brass knuckles when he pushed down two older adults amid the commotion.
Acton’s security detail, made up of Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers, stopped Havas before he was able to draw either of the guns he was carrying. Canfield Fair Police then helped secure the scene and took him into custody, the outlet reported.
“Let me be clear – The Mahoning County Democratic Party abhors political violence in all forms. What happened at our tent today during today’s visit from Dr. Acton is reprehensible and should be condemned by leaders on all sides of the aisle,” Anderson said.
“MCDP is grateful for the quick response by our local law enforcement officials as well as the Ohio State Highway Patrol providing Dr. Acton security,” the chair added.
Inmate records show Havas, a large, bearded bald man, has been charged with two counts of assault and one count of disorderly conduct.
Acton, a physician running in the state’s governor’s race against Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, was not hurt in the incident and remained on site to attend to one of the injured, NBC News reported.
“Candidates should be able to meet with voters without having to worry about threats or violence. What happened today is completely unacceptable and has no place in politics, and we hope that no one was hurt,” Connie Luck, the Communications Director for Vivek for Ohio, said in a statement to 21 News.
An investigation into the incident remains ongoing.
