A 38-year-old Ohio man was arrested Sunday after authorities said he “pushed his way” through a crowd at a fair where Amy Acton, Ohio’s Democratic nominee for governor, was speaking.
Police identified the suspect as Patrick Havas. According to the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office, he allegedly knocked two people to the ground before officers took him into custody.
“After his arrest, two handguns and a set of ‘brass knuckles’ were recovered,” a sheriff’s office spokesperson said in a Sunday statement. Investigators added that the weapons were not brandished and were never removed from their holsters.
In a later statement, the Ohio State Highway Patrol said Havas was booked into the Mahoning County Jail on a disorderly conduct charge and two counts of assault.
Acton was not injured, the patrol said. Members of the Ohio State Highway Patrol were with her at the time as part of her protective detail.
The incident happened at the Canfield Fair in Canfield, Ohio, near Acton’s hometown of Youngstown and about 60 miles from Cleveland.
“Dr. Acton and Eric are grateful for the swift and decisive action of law enforcement and are praying for the recovery of those injured,” Acton campaign spokesperson Addie Bullock said Sunday, referring to Acton’s husband. “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.”
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said earlier Sunday that the episode unfolded when a “man tried to forcefully push himself toward Dr. Acton as she was speaking and injured other attendees at the Mahoning County Democrat booth.”
“Violence or the threat of violence at political or public events is always unacceptable,” DeWine said in a statement on social media Sunday, adding that he and his wife spoke with Acton and “she said to share with Ohioans that she is ok.”
“This case is now in the hands of law enforcement and will be investigated thoroughly,” DeWine said.’
Acton previously served under DeWine when he appointed her as director of the Ohio Department of Health in 2019.
She is now running for governor in the November general election against Republican nominee Vivek Ramaswamy, whose campaign also issued a statement Sunday.
“Candidates should be able to meet with voters without having to worry about threats or violence,” Ramaswamy’s communications director Connie Luck said in a statement. “What happened today is completely unacceptable and has no place in politics, and we hope that no one was hurt.”
Ramaswamy was also scheduled to appear at the Canfield Fair Sunday afternoon. His campaign did not immediately respond to questions from ABC News about whether the event took place.
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