Fairport, NY – U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin was attacked on Thursday night by a man wielding a sharp object at a campaign event near Rochester, New York, officials said.
Zeldin, the Republican candidate for New York governor, was uninjured, and no other injuries were reported.
In video of the attack, a man can be seen onstage with Zeldin, grabbing his arm before they fall to the ground.
“You’re done,” the man can be heard repeating in the assault, which unfolded at around 8 p.m. at the Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Perinton.
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office identified the suspect as David Jakubonis, 43.
The attack ended after the suspect was restrained by people in the audience as well as members of Zeldin’s campaign, video recorded by NBC affiliate WHEC of Rochester shows.
In the attack, the man appeared to be holding an object with two protruding points. The sheriff’s office statement did not say what kind of weapon it was, but a witness who helped to tackle the suspect said it was a plastic keychain in the shape of a cat’s face with pointy ears — typically sold as a self-defense instrument.
“I couldn’t see the weapon at first. I thought the guy was going up on stage to give him a hug,” said Joe Chenelly, who had been standing to the side of the platform where Zeldin was speaking. “Then I thought it looked like a razor blade.”
Chenelly said he was among a group of people who rushed to Zeldin’s aid once the man appeared to become violent.
Jakubonis, of Fairport, is charged with attempted assault in the second degree, a felony, and was arraigned at Perinton Town Court and released on his own recognizance, the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
Zeldin later tweeted his thanks to everyone who reached out, writing in part, “Someone tried to stab me on stage during this evening’s rally, but fortunately, I was able to grab his wrist and stop him for a few moments until others tackled him.”
The man was subdued and restrained with zip ties, and police arrived, handcuffed him and took him into custody, Mike Cialini, commander of VFW Post 8495, said in an interview.
“No motive, no nothing. Once he was subdued, he was making sounds. They were just weird noises,” Cialini, who said he witnessed the incident, said.
Chenelly, a Republican running for a New York State Assembly seat, said he spoke to the suspect after he was restrained and the man told him he was an Iraq War combat veteran. Jakubonis is seen in videos of the incident wearing an Iraq War veteran hat.
Chenelly, who is also the national director of the nonprofit organization AMVETS, said the suspect was mostly incoherent and his behavior appeared indicative of someone experiencing mental health issues.
