Man arrested after incident with Ohio Democratic gubernatorial nominee, police say
Amy Acton was attending a fair in Canfield, Ohio, according to her campaign.
A 38-year-old Ohio man was arrested Sunday after allegedly "pushing his way" through a crowd at a fair where Amy Acton, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee in Ohio, was speaking, according to authorities.
The suspect, identified by police as Patrick Havas, allegedly knocked two people to the ground before being taken into custody, according to the Mahoning County Sheriff's Office.
"After his arrest, two handguns and a set of 'brass knuckles' were recovered," a sheriff's office spokesperson said in a statement Sunday. "Investigators say no weapons were ever brandished or even removed from their holsters."
The Ohio State Highway Patrol said in a later statement that Havas was booked at the Mahoning County Jail on charges of disorderly conduct and two counts of assault.
Acton was not harmed, according to the OSHP, members of whom were with Acton at the time as part of her protective unit.
The alleged incident took place at the Canfield Fair in Canfield, Ohio, located near Acton's hometown of Youngstown, around 60 miles outside of 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," Addie Bullock, Acton's campaign spokesperson, said in a statement 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 in a statement earlier Sunday that the alleged incident occurred 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.
