A man took the stage and tried to stab U.S. Congressman Lee Zeldin Thursday while he was giving a speech in his bid for governor of New York, the candidate and authorities said.
Zeldin, the Republican candidate, was unharmed and his attacker was arrested at a campaign stop in Fairport, New York, 15 miles east of Rochester in western New York.
“His words when he tried to stab me a few hours ago were, ‘You’re done,'” the Republican politician tweeted, thanking bystanders who helped confront the man, including his running mate, former New York Police Department Deputy Inspector Alison Esposito. .
“I’m fine… Luckily I was able to grab his wrist and hold him off for a few moments until the others tackled him.”
His words when he tried to stab me a few hours ago were “You’re done,” but several bystanders, incl
The police were active. the scene in minutes.
The attacker is likely to be released immediately under New York law. pic.twitter.com/wZEyIyrjFe
—@leezeldin
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office identified the suspect as David Jakubonis, 43, of Fairport. The reason was not clear.
Video footage posted on social media by witnesses showed a man in a black baseball cap quickly approaching Zeldin from the side of the stage at the rally in upstate New York.
Zeldin pushed the suspect away before both men fell to the ground as several others attempted to subdue the suspect.
Opponent of the Hochul campaign condemns the attack
Jakubonis, who is charged with attempted second-degree assault, had a gun in his hand and swung it at Zeldin’s neck, the sheriff’s office said in a statement. Photos on social media appeared to show an object with at least two sharp points.
Members of the audience and Zeldin’s campaign team restrained Jakubonis until deputies arrived and took him into custody, the statement said.
The suspect was arraigned in Perinton Town Court and released on his own recognizance.
My team informed me of the incident at Lee Zeldin’s campaign event tonight. Relieved to hear that Congressman Zeldin was not injured and that the suspect is in custody. I condemn this violent behavior in the strongest possible terms: it has no place in New York.
—@KathyHochul
A spokeswoman for Zeldin’s campaign, Katie Vincentz, said Zeldin finished his speech after the incident and thanked the law enforcement officers who responded to the attack.
“Relieved to know Congressman Zeldin was not injured and the suspect is in custody,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat and Zeldin’s opponent in the race, tweeted.
“I condemn this violent behavior in the strongest possible terms: it has no place in New York.”
State Republican Chairman Nick Langworthy asked Hochul to issue a security detail for Zeldin to protect him on the campaign trail.
“This could have gone a lot worse. This could have ended in a really horrible way tonight and that’s unacceptable,” he said.
Lee Zeldin is pictured in Baldwin, New York on June 28, the night he won the Republican primary for governor. Zeldin beat out several candidates, including Andrew Giuliani, son of the former New York City mayor, to be his party’s nominee in the November general election. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Avi Small, Hochul’s press secretary, referred questions about providing Zeldin with a security detail to the New York State Police.
Zeldin, an Army Reserve lieutenant colonel who has represented eastern Long Island in the U.S. Congress since 2015, is a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump and was among congressional Republicans who vote against certifying the 2020 election results.
He has focused his campaign on fighting crime, but faces an uphill battle against Hochul. He will have to persuade independent voters, who outnumber Republicans in the state, as well as Democrats to win the general election.
Democrats are expected to focus on Trump’s vocal defense of Zeldin during his two impeachments, as well as Zeldin’s objection to the 2020 election results.