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An armed man forced his way through a crowd toward Ohio gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton, knocking over multiple fairgoers before troopers stopped him at the Canfield Fair, authorities said.
Troopers assigned to the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s executive protection unit intercepted Patrick M. Havas, 38, during the Sept. 6 incident, according to a statement provided by the Ohio Department of Public Safety to Fox News Digital.
“Havas knocked multiple fairgoers over while trying to get towards Dr. Acton, and was found to be in possession of a taser and two pistols,” the highway patrol said. “Dr. Acton was unharmed during the incident.”
Havas was turned over first to Canfield Fair Police and then to the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office before being taken to the county jail, according to the statement.
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He was booked on two counts of assault and one count of disorderly conduct. A jail record listed Havas as being held in pretrial custody.
The highway patrol and sheriff’s office are investigating what led to the confrontation. No additional details were immediately available.
Acton’s campaign initially said an armed individual had lunged at the candidate and injured multiple people.
“While attending the Canfield Fair, an armed individual lunged at Dr. Acton, injuring multiple people,” Acton campaign communications director Addie Bullock said in a statement.
“Dr. Acton and Eric are grateful for the swift and decisive action of law enforcement and are praying for the recovery of those injured,” Bullock added. “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 later confirmed that Acton was not hurt and said he and first lady Fran DeWine spoke with her following the incident.
“Fran and I are thankful Dr. Amy Acton was not hurt, and we send our thoughts to those who were injured,” DeWine said. “We spoke to Dr. Acton this afternoon and she said to share with Ohioans that she is ok.”
DeWine said a man “tried to forcefully push himself toward Dr. Acton” as she was speaking and injured other attendees at the Mahoning County Democratic booth.
“We are grateful for the quick work of the Ohio State Highway Patrol and other law enforcement on the scene at the Canfield Fair today,” the governor said.
“Violence or the threat of violence at political or public events is always unacceptable,” DeWine added. “This case is now in the hands of law enforcement and will be investigated thoroughly.”
The incident came as Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin warned that candidates and other public figures continue to face threats as campaign season kicks into high gear.
“You’re never safe in the public eye,” Mullin told Fox News’ Peter Doocy during an interview on “The Sunday Briefing.”
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Doocy asked Mullin whether candidates were safe heading into the traditional Labor Day weekend kickoff to campaign season, citing the political assassinations and assassination attempts that have rocked the country in recent years.
“If you read any of the social media posts, which I choose not to, but you see the type of rhetoric and the hatefulness that’s out there,” Mullin said.
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“The threats to our elected officials, they don’t go away,” he continued. “We’ve got to bring down the temperature, but the temperature is not going to go down on itself.”
Mullin said Americans must accept that political disagreements are part of the country’s system of government while drawing a firm line at violence.
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“The American people have to realize that we do have a republic, and the republic has different opinions, and it’s OK to have different opinions,” he said.
“When you cross a line and say that that different opinion needs to be silenced — it needs to be silenced through violence — that’s where Homeland comes into place,” Mullin added. “Free speech is something we all protect, but there’s a line that you can cross that goes from free speech to inciting dangerous behavior.”
Mullin was speaking broadly about political threats and was not responding directly to the reported confrontation involving Acton.
Republican gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy and his running mate, Ohio Senate President Rob McColley, condemned the Canfield Fair incident.
“Candidates should be able to meet with voters without having to worry about threats or violence,” Ramaswamy campaign 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,” she added.
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Acton and Ramaswamy are facing off in November’s closely watched race to replace term-limited Republican Gov. Mike DeWine.
Acton, a physician, became a household name in Ohio while serving as director of the Ohio Department of Health during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to The Associated Press. She appeared alongside DeWine during televised briefings as the state imposed shutdowns and other public-health restrictions.
Her handling of the pandemic has since become a central campaign issue, The AP reported. Ramaswamy and other Republicans have criticized Acton over the restrictions, while her campaign has defended her work with DeWine as necessary to protect Ohioans.
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Fox News Digital reached out to the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office for additional information.
Fox News’ Peter Doocy contributed to this report.
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