An armed man lunged toward Ohio Democratic gubernatorial nominee Dr. Amy Acton during a Sunday appearance at the Canfield Fair, triggering a chaotic confrontation that left two people injured.
Authorities quickly arrested [1] the suspect before the incident could become even more dangerous.
The confrontation unfolded inside the Mahoning County Democratic Party tent as Acton met with people attending the annual fair.
Her campaign communications director, Addie Bullock, said the intruder “lunged” toward the candidate during the disturbance.
Local news outlets identified the suspect as Patrick Havas, 38.
Witnesses and party officials said Havas barged into the tent, pushed toward the front, and knocked several volunteers to the ground as he attempted to reach Acton.
“Dr. Acton and Eric are grateful for the swift and decisive action of law enforcement and are praying for the recovery of those injured.
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,” Bullock said in a statement.
Mahoning County Democratic Party Chair Chris Anderson said Havas forced his way through the gathering with little concern for those standing between him and the candidate.
The sudden rush sent people scrambling and turned what had been a routine political appearance into a security emergency.
Mahoning County Sheriff Jerry Greene told 21 News that Havas was holding a phone camera during the incident.
Greene said the suspect was also carrying two concealed firearms and brass knuckles when he pushed down two older adults amid the commotion.
Members of Acton’s security detail, which included Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers, immediately moved to stop Havas.
The troopers apprehended him before Canfield Fair Police assisted and took custody of the suspect, according to the local report.
Authorities said Havas never displayed either of the concealed firearms during the altercation.
WATCH:
!function(r,u,m,b,l,e){r._Rumble=b,r[b]||(r[b]=function(){(r[b]._=r[b]._||[]).push(arguments);if(r[b]._.length==1){l=u.createElement(m),e=u.getElementsByTagName(m)[0],l.async=1,l.src="https://rumble.com/embedJS/u1vds3"+(arguments[1].video?'.'+arguments[1].video:'')+"/?url="+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+"&args="+encodeURIComponent(JSON.stringify([].slice.apply(arguments))),e.parentNode.insertBefore(l,e)}})}(window, document, "script", "Rumble");
Rumble("play", {"video":"v7d0e0a","div":"rumble_v7d0e0a"});
That fact prevented additional weapons charges at the time, but the presence of guns and brass knuckles added a disturbing dimension to an already reckless intrusion.
Inmate records show Havas was charged with two counts of assault and one count of disorderly conduct.
He was not facing any firearms related charges, although investigators continued examining the confrontation and the circumstances surrounding his conduct.
Anderson condemned the disruption and said political violence should be rejected regardless of party affiliation.
“The Mahoning County Democratic Party abhors political violence in all forms. What happened at our tent today during today’s visit from Dr. Acton is reprehensible and should be condemned by leaders on all sides of the aisle,” he said.
Anderson also credited officers for preventing the confrontation from escalating further.
“MCDP is grateful for the quick response by our local law enforcement officials as well as the Ohio State Highway Patrol providing Dr. Acton security,” the Chair added.
Acton, a physician and former Ohio health director, was not injured.
NBC News reported that she remained at the fair after the arrest and helped attend to one of the people injured during the chaos.
The Democratic nominee is running for governor against Republican Vivek Ramaswamy.
His campaign responded by condemning threats and violence at political events, making clear that candidates must be able to appear before the public without fearing physical attacks.
“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,” Connie Luck, the Communications Director for Vivek for Ohio, said in a statement to 21 News.
The incident is another reminder that campaign security cannot be treated as an afterthought, even at community events such as county fairs.
Political disagreements belong at the ballot box, not in a tent where armed agitators shove older adults and charge toward candidates.
Investigators have not publicly announced a motive for Havas or explained why he allegedly tried to approach Acton.
The investigation remains active as authorities review evidence, witness statements, security procedures, and the weapons found in the suspect’s possession.