A suspect was arrested after allegedly lunging at Democratic gubernatorial nominee Amy Acton during a campaign visit to the Canfield Fair, resulting in injuries to two people.
Key facts
- •Patrick Havas, 38, was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and two counts of assault.
- •Law enforcement recovered two handguns, a set of brass knuckles, and a Taser from the suspect.
- •The incident occurred at the Canfield Fair in a Mahoning County Democratic Party tent around 2:30 p.m. Sunday.
- •Amy Acton, the Democratic nominee for governor, was not injured and attended to one of the people knocked to the ground.
- •The Ohio State Highway Patrol provides security for Acton as part of her gubernatorial campaign.
An armed individual was arrested Sunday after allegedly lunging at Amy Acton, the Democratic nominee for Ohio governor, during a campaign event at the Canfield Fair. The incident occurred around 2:30 p.m. in a Mahoning County Democratic Party tent, where Acton was speaking to a crowd. While Acton was not injured, two people were knocked to the ground during the confrontation with the suspect, identified by the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office as 38-year-old Patrick Havas.
By the numbers
Incident Details and Law Enforcement Response
According to Mahoning County Sheriff’s spokesperson Gerry Ricciutti, Havas approached the tent while recording the event on a cellphone and began pushing through the crowd. Acton’s security detail, comprised of Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers, confronted the man. Investigators later recovered two handguns, a set of brass knuckles, and a Taser from Havas, though officials noted he did not remove the weapons from their holsters during the encounter. Havas, a Canfield resident, was booked into the Mahoning County Jail on charges of disorderly conduct and two counts of assault. Acton, a physician and former state health director, remained on-site following the incident to assist one of the injured individuals. The Ohio State Highway Patrol and the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the event.
Political Reactions
The incident drew condemnation from across the political spectrum. Republican gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy, who was also scheduled to visit the fair, stated that candidates should be able to meet voters without fear of violence. Governor Mike DeWine and Senator Jon Husted also issued statements condemning the behavior and expressing gratitude for the law enforcement response. Addie Bullock, a spokesperson for the Acton campaign, stated that the candidate and her husband are grateful for the actions of law enforcement and are praying for the recovery of those injured. Christopher Anderson, chair of the Mahoning County Democratic Party, described the incident as reprehensible and called for condemnation from leaders of all political affiliations.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by NBC Politics.
