Armed Ohio man arrested for attempted attack on Democratic candidate for governor
The candidate, Amy Acton, was not hurt, but her team said several others were injured as the man tried to "lunge" at her.
Armed Ohio man arrested after attempted attack on Democratic gubernatorial candidate
An armed man was arrested in the US after rushing toward Amy Acton, the Democratic politician running for Ohio governor, during an event on Sunday.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol, which was assigned to protect Acton, said in a statement to the BBC that its officers stopped the suspect before he got to Acton at Ohio’s annual Canfield Fair.
The suspect, identified as 38-year-old Patrick Havas, was carrying two pistols when he was arrested.
Acton was not hurt in the incident, although her campaign team said several other people were injured as the man tried to "lunge" at her.
"Dr Acton and [her husband] Eric are grateful for the swift and decisive action of law enforcement and are praying for the recovery of those injured," a statement from her communications director said.
"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."
Describing the alleged incident in more detail, Mahoning County Sheriff Jerry Greene told the BBC’s US partner CBS News that Havas, who is from Canfield, was arrested after he "aggressively shoved his way through the crowd toward Acton while holding a cell phone up".
He also knocked over two people who were using mobility scooters, Greene added.
Havas is being held in the county jail and faces two counts of misdemeanor assault and one count of disorderly conduct.
Acton’s Republican opponent in the Ohio governor race, Vivek Ramaswamy, an ally of US President Donald Trump, condemned the incident.
Ramaswamy’s communications director said: "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."
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, a Republican and the incumbent, also said there was no place for political violence at public events.
The US has seen many high-profile cases of political violence in recent years, including attacks on lawmakers and attempts on Trump’s life.
In some cases, the violence has been fatal. High-profile conservative activist Charlie Kirk was killed in Utah last September. Democratic state lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband were also killed at their home in Minnesota.